An overnight stay
by Ayane Selznick
Summary: [AU&OOC] The gang agreed to have an adventure outside the village but end up staying at a certain huge mansion in the middle of nowhere. Because of their unfortunate situation, they have to stay there for the night. Complete! SasuSaku
1. The Invitation

**An overnight stay**

_**Summary:** [AU&OOC] Four pairs decided to have an adventure outside the village but end up staying at a certain huge mansion in the middle of nowhere. Curious enough they've decided to use it for a resting place. Will they get out alive?  
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**The Invitation**  
  
One Monday morning at the village of Konoha, a blonde teenage girl was running down the streets with a huge smile plastered on her face. After a 5-minute-run, she arrived at the Haruno's residence, knocking carelessly at their front door.  
  
"SAKURAAA!!!!" She shouted from the outside.  
  
Then she heard loud footsteps nearing the door and figured out that it's Sakura, her best friend. The pink haired teenager with green beautiful eyes. But she seemed to be... irritated?  
  
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT, INO!!" She asked actually yelled.  
  
"Sakura, Sakura, Sakura!!!" She shouted back and cling herself to her bestfriend's neck.  
  
"Cut it out!! You're killing me!" Sakura retorted, trying to pull Ino's grip from her neck.  
  
Ino pulled herself and stuck out her tongue, "Sorry about that. But hey! You know what! I've found a hotspot for summer adventure!"  
  
Sakura gave her a weird stare, thinking that she's up to something really really weird, "What's it gonna be?"  
  
"A mountain hike!" Sakura sighed and sweatdropped. She even placed her hands on her waist.  
  
"Ino, that's so tiring. You better choose a spot where we could rest, relax and have fun. Not that mountain hiking where we're going to be so tired and all."  
  
Ino sighed and there seem to be nerves popping out of her temples, "Let me finish, Sakura. This isn't any ordinary mountain hike! We're gonna camp outside the village, then swim at the nearest river then rest then return! That's enough rest and fun for two days!"  
  
Sakura observed the persisting invitation of her best friend. Why is she persisting her anyway? What's with the mountain hike? But it sure going to be fun anyway...  
  
"So who's coming with us?" She asked and Ino just gave her a wide strange grin.  
  
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Ino and Sakura came barging down the Hyuuga's gate and call out for Hinata. When she appeared, she looked her friends who wear a smile on their faces. She smiled back, feeling they'll be having a good news or something.  
  
"What's with you guys? Why are you so happy?" Hinata asked.  
  
"Ino says we're going to have a summer vacation for two days." Sakura answered with her brightest smile under the sunshine.  
  
"Huh? Where? And what kind of vacation?" She asked once more and seems like herself is starting to like this vacation they're saying.  
  
"Outside the village! My aunt gave me a map to a certain place where we could camp and swim and hike! Isn't it great?" Ino tempted while her bright eyes glowed brightly. "I know you'll join Hinata! You should be!"  
  
Hinata smiled and accepted the invitation. Then the three of them went to Tenten's place to tell the same thing, invite her to be precise. At first she declined, but they're begging sure beats her that she accepted the invitation and joined them. Ino thought that it would be great to drag some boys along since they're their closests friends. She started banging on Shikamaru's door and clung to him in the presence. She begged for him to come along, but he declined.  
  
"I won't come unless some boys will come, too." Was his deal and shut his door.  
  
The three girls pulled Ino before she could beat Shikamaru for shutting the door right in front of her face. She's raging so mad. Then all of a sudden, they saw a black haired teenage boy strolling down the street as if he's going somewhere else they didn't know. Ino immediately called out his name to get his attention.  
  
"SASUKE!!!!"  
  
Sasuke looked at her and saw some pink haired girl blushing behind Hinata. Somehow, he blushed, too. He, also, looked away and is trying to go somewhere else but Ino caught his wrist.  
  
"Where do you think you're going?!" She complained.  
  
"Let go, Ino." He said with an irritating tone, but as soon as he stole glance to Sakura, he blushed.  
  
"You better listen to what I say..." With that, Ino started narrating the vacation she said a while ago and how Shikamaru refused the offer. At first, Sasuke would like to refuse but when Sakura met his eyes, it looks like she's begging for him to come.  
  
"...Aa." Was his answer and now he's part of the group for the vacation. He felt Sakura's eyes on him so he started blushing.  
  
After inviting Sasuke, the girls started walking to search for someone else. Ino spotted the ramen house and immediately had an idea who's going to be the next person for their summer vacation, and atleast, she knows he won't refuse it...  
  
"Hello, there Naruto." Ino greeted with her hands waving in the mid air and face with a big grin.  
  
Naruto is currently eating his ramen and more likely the fifth bowl. He sure is a ramen-freak. Anyway, Ino narrated to him what's her plan, then to the vacation place, then who's been invited already and lastly, she'd bribe him about bringing all her ramen for him.  
  
"Ok! No complains! I'll come! I won't let that bastard enjoy the summer by himself!" He grinned and Ino grinned back.  
  
'Good.. two down, two to go... Damn that Shikamaru... he's going to be the last person.' Ino said in her thoughts.  
  
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Sakura walked Hinata home and they're so lucky to find Neji coming out of Hinata's place. Hinata hastily approached her cousin, might as well invite him to join the vacation, well to accompany her or something. Sakura knows that whatever Hinata says, he'll never refuse. That's how powerful the Head family is...  
  
"So... would you come?" Hinata shyly asked while twindling her fingers.  
  
Neji looked at Sakura's face and thought that she might have provoked her cousin to ask him join. Sakura just smiled like her usual smiles and show no malice or anything. Neji sighed.  
  
"Ok, I'll come with you." Hinata looked up to him and gave him a smile.  
  
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Ino came back to Shikamaru's house. Now, she just knocked his door and waited for him to come out of the house. Before he could open the door, she just heard him saying 'how troublesome'. Then finally she heard him turned the knob and pulled the door.  
  
"Hi Shikamaru!" She greeted with the same grin on her face.  
  
"You again." He said, raising an eyebrow to the girl.  
  
Ino clung herself to Shikamaru's neck, begging for him to come. "C'mon Shika-kun... you better not waste your time here you know. Everybody is coming."  
  
He gave her a weird stare and because he couldn't refuse Ino's begging and clinging herself to him for the second time..  
  
"Alright, I'll join... two days only." He said.  
  
"How kind of you!" She held his neck more tighter which made him changed colors.  
  
"I...Ino... you're ch..choking me..."  
  
_[To be continued]  
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**[Standard Disclaimers Applied]**  
  
_Author's Note: Since I'm too inspired after watching horror movies and read some book... how about apply it on them (evil grin). This'll be my third Naruto fanfic, I'm getting close to my record for HXH. Well anyways, this is the second story that doesn't have Original Character. So I'll focus on the pairing. _


	2. The First Sign

**An overnight stay**

**The First Sign**  
  
The next day, the teenagers are gathered silently at the gates of Konoha Village. Ino is kind of irritated since they're waiting for two more people. She kept on waving to herself as if her hands can produce air to cool herself. Hinata is sat back to back with Tenten. They all have their backpacks with them, though. It's just two days and one night at the trek. Neji have his own bag, too, and he's leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. Sasuke was up at the tree, shading himself from the ray of sunlight. Shikamaru sat on his own bag with his one hand supporting his chin. So, they're just waiting for...  
  
"That damn oversized forehead girl! Why is she taking so long?!" Ino yelled, placing her hands on her waist and standing guard at the center of the gate.  
  
As if on cue, Sakura appeared with Naruto behind her. They're both running. The black haired boy up on the tree heard Sakura's heavy breathing and noticed something behind her and Naruto... a group of fanboys... His eyes twitched and cast down his eyes to the group.  
  
"INO!! RUN!!" Sakura shouted, well, maybe to save her friends from the stampede from their back.  
  
The teenagers immediately disappeared with their things, including Sakura and Naruto who were running before. When the fanboys noticed their disappearance all of them sighed in dismayed and went back to the village. After a minute of silence, the teenagers reappeared all in the ground.  
  
"And you even brought your damn fanclub along the way." Shikamaru teased while the girls started chuckling.  
  
Sakura blushed on this comment that she sticks out her tongue and cast her eyes down, "Sorry..."  
  
Ino recovered in frustration commanded the group, "So what're we waiting for? Let's ride!"  
  
Naruto started looking for a vehicle nearby, "Hey what're we going to use? There's no van or anything out there."  
  
Ino hit Naruto in the head as she pointed her finger to the different direction, "YOU IDIOT! OF COURSE WE'RE GOING TO USE MOUNTAIN BIKE, MORON!"  
  
Then there are eight mountain bikes aligned against the wall. Sure beats them, Ino's relatives are damn rich. And well, this is part of the trip, an adventure. They started equipping themselves and hopped on the bike. Ino said she'll lead the way since she has the map and the mastermind of this activity. Kicking the pedals, she led the group and behind her was Shikamaru.  
  
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'It's really hot in here...' Sakura thought while following the group. [Damn you Ino-pig!] Her inner said yelled while pointing her index finger at the front, to Ino, to be precise.  
  
She breathes heavily again, like the other girls do. They've been like cycling almost all day. They've their own breakfast before they meet, but this biking trip is exhausting them so easily. Neji noticed the girls' exhaustion. Then he looked at his friends, the boys, if they're tired or what. Well, they're not. Boys really have a huge storage of energy. The black haired one looked worriedly to his front, that pink haired teenager who is panting so heavily.  
  
"Hey guys, let's take a break." Tenten, the brown haired teenager with two buns fixed on top of her head, suggested.  
  
Ino clasped the breaks and the group followed. It's a great idea to take a break, but... in the middle of nowhere? The group started observing their surroundings. There are large trees, hot ray sunlight, birds, bushes.. and behind the bushes, well, how lucky, a crystal clear stream. They leaned the bikes on the nearest trees then placed their bags at a circle form as they walked near the stream and drank from it. Naruto, who felt so hot, decided to take off his clothes and jumped to the stream.  
  
"This is great! Hey you guys it's refreshing!!" He shouted when he emerged from the water.  
  
The boys started to take off their shirts and dived with Naruto. As for the girls, they just sat beside the stream, chatting and playing with the cool water.  
  
"Ino, you should've atleast check the temperature of this weather..." Sakura commented while swaying her legs at the water.  
  
"We're doing an outdoor activity so expect hot temperature ok?" Ino retorted and somehow noticed Hinata's glanced to... 'Naruto?! Now, what's in her and with that stealing glances?'  
  
She narrowed her eyes from Hinata then to Naruto. To the boys' side, Naruto started drowning Sasuke then accidentally splashed water to Shikamaru where in turn trying to return the splash when Neji accidentally appeared right in front of Shikamaru. Which, in short, started a water fight.  
  
'Now that's cool.' Ino commented in her thoughts.  
  
How she wished they could just take off their clothes and do the same thing with the boys. They're girls, teens. They should have atleast be embarrassed if they do that. Ino sighed, then all of a sudden, someone pulled her hands directly from the water.  
  
"WHAT THE--?!" The remaining three girls heard a large splash from the water.  
  
As Ino rise from the water, "WHO THE HELL DID THAT!!!" Her eyes started flaring that she immediately turned her glances to the boys, thinking that somebody from them did that.  
  
"Ino, behind you." Tenten voiced out and pointed to someone behind her.  
  
When Ino turned around, she saw a brown haired guy swimming, rather escaping, from her. Her ears started to produce smoke like a steam and her face starting to get red.  
  
"SHIKAMARU!!!"  
  
As his name shouted in the air, she immediately chased the poor guy. The girls who were laughing their hearts out didn't notice that the remaining three boys are now under the water, in front of them, preparing to pull them down also. Under the water, Naruto signaled Sasuke and Neji to pull Sakura and Tenten's legs as he would pull Hinata's. At the surface, the girls' continued their laughs until the boys from under water pulled their legs to get themselves wet in the process.  
  
"AAAHH!!" Sakura who was pulled by Sasuke screamed when...  
  
"OH PLEA--!!!" Tenten was cut off when she immediately submerged in the water.  
  
"OHH!!" Hinata was blushing when she saw the blonde guy, Naruto, pulled her legs.  
  
Being pulled altogether, the girls' eyes where tightly shut. When the green eyed Sakura opened her eyes only to see Sasuke right in front of her, she began to blush and immediately rise from the stream with a splash, to get air, actually. Sasuke followed her and rise up from the water as well. The others did the same and started laughing. But Tenten immediately clung herself to Neji's back and started drowning him in the process, a revenge. Unfortunately, Neji pulled her arms again in the water where she would be drowned again. After some splashes, Tenten arose from the water.  
  
"NEJI! You'll pay dearly for that!" Neji hastily swam before Tenten cling to his back again.  
  
The remaining four started laughing until Naruto decided to join Ino, Shikamaru and the latter two for a water fight. So to get a partner, she pulled Hinata and swim to their six friends. Sakura suddenly stopped laughing when she saw Naruto pulling Hinata.  
  
'If Ino is chasing Shikamaru then Tenten chasing Neji and Naruto tagged Hinata all the way... I'm left with...' She gulped the words then moved her eyes to her side.  
  
"What're we waiting for?" Sasuke asked, grabbing Sakura's arms before they miss the water fight.  
  
[HELL YEAH! SASUKE'S WITH ME!]  
  
_[To be continued]_  
  
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**[SDA]**  
  
_A/N: So what do we have here, a water fight. Hehehe, see the OOCness of our characters? You see the pairings right? It's as clear as crystal. Hehe, don't have much to say since they're nothing much AS OF NOW. Prepare for the next chapter... -evil grin-_ _and btw, I have another story to upload watch out for it _


	3. Entrance

**An overnight stay**

**Entrance**  
  
After the long water fight at the stream, they got up from the water and decided to eat lunch. Neji and Sasuke volunteered to get dried sticks and branches for fire. The other two were left to guard the girls, who in turn, preparing their lunch as they pick out raw food from their bags. Sakura is still dreaming about what happened earlier, when Sasuke pulled her leg and the first person she saw when she opened her eyes. She can't help but blush.  
  
"Uh...Sakura-chan..." Hinata snapped her back to reality.  
  
"Huh? W-What?" She asked nervously.  
  
"You're red. Do you have a fever?" Hinata is reaching her hand to Sakura's forehead.  
  
But she pulled herself backwards and raised her hands defensively, "No, no no I'm fine. Really!"  
  
After sometime, the two boys came back carrying dried leaves and sticks. Ino grinned happily as she called the two to come and prepare the fire. The girls helped Ino prepared the lunch as they make two small camp fires for fast cooking. While waiting for the girls, the boys decided to check their location by pulling out the map from Ino's bag.  
  
"So we have another kilometer to take. Since we came from east we're all heading northwest to get shortcut. By then, we're gonna arrive around 5 or 6." Shikamaru looked at his water proof watch thinking if his calculations are right, "It's 1. We have three hours to get there."  
  
The three boys nodded as they watch their surroundings. Few minutes later, the girls finally served their lunch and they started eating. Ino is so kind to give Naruto a treat by bringing some ramen, well it was a bribe, right? While eating, they started to have conversations. About what happened recently and what are the possibilities might occur in this trip. They really get along so well.  
  
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According to Shikamaru they should at least have an hour preparation and three hours biking, well including short breaks. Currently, they have taken 8 kilometers from what seemed more than two hours. Strange, they haven't seen any signs or banners or Ino's aunt.  
  
"Are you sure we're taking the right way, Shikamaru?" Ino asked, though there's a slight tremble in her voice.  
  
"I've studied the map Ino. I know where we are going." He stated in straightforwardly tone.  
  
Neji noticed something as it hit his head to say, "We've been here."  
  
All of them stopped and looked at Neji with questioning look in their faces. Sasuke observed his surroundings, then looked at everyone then looked at the sky. His eyes widened.  
  
"Neji's right. We've been here, about half an hour ago."  
  
The girls started to shiver a little. There's something strange going on and they don't like it, same with the boys. Naruto looked at his watched and before he could say something, he feel the bile traveling down to his throat.  
  
"Guys, it's 6." They all looked at him as they noticed his nervous tone.  
  
"This is strange.. how come we haven't had any sight of Ino's aunt or their house." Shikamaru commented as he allow himself into a deep concentration.  
  
Sakura looked up on the sky. It's getting dark already. How come time flies so fast? She looked at her friends, they're insulted, worried and irritated. Then something made her shiver a little. It almost raised the hair at the back of her head. Sasuke noticed her uneasiness.  
  
"Sakura what's wrong?" He asked.  
  
She looked at the speaker, only to see the black worried eyes of Sasuke. This is not the time to blush, because something really bugs her. She hesitantly looked away and noticed something not that far from them. Sasuke followed her eyes. He, saw something.  
  
"There's a house over there." He voiced out.  
  
First they all looked at Sasuke, then to Sakura, as they noticed that they were both looking on to something. They followed their eyes and saw a large house, rather mansion, standing proudly as it was encircled by large creepy trees.  
  
"Don't tell me we're gonna stay there for the night?" Ino complained, feeling her insides shiver in fear.  
  
"It's not safe to wander around the forest at a time like this, Ino. I think it's better to stay in one place." Tenten suggested despite the words 'do not go there' in her head.  
  
"B-but, are you guys sure that it's safe there? What if there are... animals or... some bad people dwelling at that mansion?" Hinata had second thoughts, and they do agree with her.  
  
"If we stick all together, then there's nothing to worry about." Naruto retorted as if he's the bravest person in the group, well, not to let Hinata worry in fear.  
  
He's right, they thought. Even at the back of their minds try to protest their will, they went on and Naruto is in the lead. During their short trip to the mansion, something peculiar crept to Neji's senses, as well as to Shikamaru, and Sasuke. The surroundings are unearthly to their senses but they headed on. Until...  
  
"Whoa... this sure is large." Naruto observed the large gate and what's behind it. A large mansion, creepy mansion.  
  
"So... are we going in?" Ino asked out of the silence after Naruto commented.  
  
They kicked the pedals and started biking towards the small garden reaching the main door of the mansion. Sakura kept her senses awake, even though she's a little scared of something she don't even know. Sasuke always notices her uneasiness and always the first one to notice it. He don't want to repeat the same question all over again, because he really feels like she's afraid of something which is particularly a proof from her expression. The leaned their bikes around the fountain with a sitting angel, althought it looks like its tears were dried up because there was no water to show its tears. Naruto advances forward with Shikamaru, Ino and Hinata behind him.  
  
"Neji.. this place gives me the creeps, why don't we camp out?" Tenten asked as she stood beside Neji.  
  
He shrugged and answered, "We won't let ourselves under the rain. Look." He looked up to the dark sky as the angels started to cry.  
  
'Oh no... earlier it was hot, now it's raining... this is really strange...' Sakura thought as she run with her hands covering her head from the droplets of rain.  
  
She was followed by Neji, Sasuke and Tenten. Now they're all standing at the main door and the first four haven't decided to come in or knock at the door. A minute or two, it started raining hard. Their bikes are all wet.  
  
"How troublesome..." Shikamaru mumbled.  
  
"We don't have time to decide... let's just go in and stay for the night." Neji declared and started walking past Shikamaru and Naruto.  
  
Naruto put his hand on Neji's shoulder, well, maybe he's preventing the Hyuuga to burst out opening the door without permission. Neji stepped back and let Naruto have his way. Naruto breathe in and out first and shakily raised his clutched fist to knock on the door.  
  
Knock knock knock. There was no response. Knock knock knock. Still quiet.  
  
"A-anybody home?" He asked, no one answered. He sighed and turned around to his friends, "Should I do it on my way?"  
  
Everybody just shrugged and let him do what he wants, when he turned his back to them, they sweatdropped. After several breathe ins and outs. He started punching, kicking and stomping the door.  
  
"OPEN THE GODDAMN DOOR!!!" Again, they all sweatdropped.  
  
After the a minute of violence just to open the door, Naruto gave up and dropped his butt to the ground. Panting heavily. Of course, the door is shut tightly and locked from the other side, it's a mansion.  
  
'Dobe.' Sasuke thought with his eyes narrowed to Naruto.  
  
"I guess, we don't have a choice but to find a new place." Tenten blurted out then sighed.  
  
"This is an empty mansion, what a waste of energy.. we came here for nothing." Neji said as if suggesting his friends to leave the place however...  
  
They all heard a creaking sound... of an opening door. They slowly turn their heads to see what's going on. And when their eyes landed on the wide opened door, Naruto, as he was sitting on the ground and being the nearest to the opened door, jumped back in shock.  
  
"WHAT THE!?"  
  
_[To be continued]_  
  
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**[SDA]  
**  
_A/N: Typical story? tsk tsk tsk, many Filipinos might trace what's next. :P I'm not a humorous type of writer but I'll find out to input it here. REAL show starts here..._


	4. Shivers to the spine

**An overnight stay**

**Shivers to the spine**  
  
"WHAT THE--?!"  
  
When the door is widely open, Naruto and the others saw a strange old man wearing a white polo shirt and wrinkled jeans. He also wears slippers which would really mean that he must have been the owner of the house, err, mansion. His eyes were dull and his face is wrinkled. His hair was so white and some part of his head was starting to bald. No wonder, he's an old geezer. There's no reaction from his face when the group almost shriek in fear, except of course Naruto.  
  
"Welcome, dear guests..." He finally voiced out though his voice was hoarsed.  
  
"Uh...well... we..." Naruto couldn't get out the right words to explain what they're supposed to do in the mansion.  
  
The old man travel his eyes to everybody in the group, even to Naruto, but something caught his attention. A certain pink haired girl with green eyes was trembling behind the raven haired kid. After a minute of surprised, he plastered a sinister grin in his face though the others didn't recognize it.  
  
He turned his attention to Naruto, "What were you kids doing at a time like this?"  
  
"Well you see, it's raining and we don't have an appropriate shelter. If you could--" Neji uttered but was immediately cut by the old man.  
  
"Come in. It's okay, you can rest and stay here for the night." He shoved himself to the side as he invited the teens to enter the dark, cold and creepy mansion.  
  
The kids hesitated at first but as soon as Naruto rise from the ground, he flashed a grin to his comrades and get himself inside the mansion. One by one they entered with a slight tremble and fear inside their bodies.  
  
'I knew this place was creepy, inside out...' Tenten said in her thoughts while allowing her eyes to travel everywhere in the mansion.  
  
'I do not trust this old man... we better stick together..' Being the oldest member of the group, Neji decided what to do next.  
  
The rest of the kids followed the old man until they reached the foot of the large and wide stairs welcoming them, in such strange manner. Sakura, being the farthest of them all, and with Sasuke being the nearest person in front of her, she unconsciously grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer. Sasuke, upon noticing this, felt the urge of holding her closer to make her trembles disappear. But that won't happen, because he doesn't want everybody to know what he feels for Sakura. He keeps it only to himself. In short, he just let her be.  
  
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The old gee--, man, was now walking to up to the second floor and was followed by the kids. The mansion surely was huge and was too much for one person. Too much for him. He was kind, though, letting the six kids have their shelter from the rain. However, since the mansion was a little old and lonely, the place was dark.   
  
When they were stepping on the steps, they could hear some cracks and creaks from it. The railing was broken, but some of it stays intact on the steps. The chandelier that they all saw when they came in, was covered with white fabric and when the wind blows it, it moves like a ghost, flying above them.  
  
The girls didn't stop shivering from what they're feeling. It was really strange and chilly. The boys felt the same atmosphere, but they stayed quiet as if focusing on what they're observing. They all noticed the man walked to the left, adding creepiness, the hallway they were in was darker than the latter path.  
  
"Guys... we better stick together..." Shikamaru whispered hoping that the old man didn't hear him.  
  
In a moment, he felt someone tugged his sleeves. When he moved his eyes, he already saw blonde hair behind him. Oh great, just great, of all of the people...  
  
"Ino! Stop pulling my shirt!" He angrily said in a minimal volume.  
  
Ino just glared back at him, "Be quiet and move on!" She retorted with the same minimal volume Shikamaru did.  
  
"How troublesome..." And he started walking.  
  
As they went deeper in the mansion, they found themselves stopped in another hallway where they thought were rooms. The old man looked at them.  
  
"You can choose your own rooms. I've got plenty of them."  
  
Neji stepped forward to do the talking, "Thank you very much, sir."  
  
"From the way you talk and act, I guess you're the oldest kid in the group." Neji nodded.  
  
"Could we at least know your--" For the second time, Neji was cut off.  
  
"Just call me Wakku. I'm the caretaker of this mansion." He felt all of their brows twitched.  
  
Naruto decided to butt in, "Caretaker of this HUGE mansion? I thought you were the owner of this house."  
  
"The owners, obviously, weren't here."  
  
Shikamaru decided to butt in to ask and received information, "Do they still come back?"  
  
"Yeah, they'd left me a note or a message personally delivered by their messenger, when they would come back."  
  
"Is it really ok, mister, if we stay here?" Shikamaru asked.  
  
"Yeah. I think they wouldn't mind considering your situation. In any case, have you all eaten your dinner or something?"  
  
"No, we haven't." Neji answered.  
  
"Oh, so I'll make you dinner."  
  
"That's too much sir!" Ino embarrassingly retorted, still tugging Shikamaru's sleeves.  
  
Wakku just smiled back at the girl, "It's ok, little one. It feels good to help kids like you. After an hour, maybe, you can all go downstairs, then right. Ok? Now feel at home while I take care of the dinner." Without being stopped by the teenagers, the man started to walked off.  
  
They watched the old man's back retreating in the darkness. Now that they're all alone in the hallway, being surrounded by four doors, they're yet to decide how to separate the group to occupy all the rooms. But like Neji and Shikamaru said, they should stick together. They were strangers in this house and the man was their stranger. They haven't give him their full trust.  
  
"...What do we do now?" Tenten asked after a full five minutes of silence.  
  
Neji looked around. Other than the hallway, the whole place has turned into darkness. There were windows to receive light from the lightnings outside the mansion. The place was dull. There were no paintings suspended in the walls, nor small chandeliers to aid anyone in the place. Just said earlier, the house was abandoned, only the caretaker himself was living in this place.  
  
"Why don't we look at each room and decide if we're gonna separate or not." Shikamaru finally suggested as he received nods from his friends.  
  
Ino started walking to the door with Tenten in tow. She felt her hands shivering while reaching out the doorknob and she knew that Tenten could feel her troubles...perhaps, fear. She looked into Tenten's eyes and to give her the signal, Tenten just nodded and drew closer to her. Finding courage, she gulped all her fears and rotated the doorknob...  
  
Naruto was about to approach the door, meters away from where Ino and Tenten were standing, when a tug made him paused. When he turned his head over his shoulder, he saw his short blue-haired Hinata shyly standing behind him.  
  
"Hinata-chan?" Naruto turned around to face her.  
  
"Na-Naruto-kun... I...ah.. I'm a little scared..." Hot cheeks started to show on her cheeks.  
  
"Don't worry, Hinata-chan." He flashed his foxy-grin, "As long as I'm here, there's nothing to fear!"  
  
Felt relieved from the encouragement that Naruto provided for her, she smiled at him and let him opened the door in front of them...  
  
Neji and Shikamaru started walking towards the door just the opposite direction of where Ino and Tenten walked to. Shikamaru was walking ahead of Neji. Neither both of them have spoken after the group's conversation just a minute ago. They were observing the whole area with slightly strange feeling. They both have seconds thoughts on this area, but still, they proceeded, well, they don't have choice, do they?  
  
"Hey Shikamaru." Neji suddenly spoke when Shikamaru was about to rotate the doorknob.  
  
"What is it?" Shikamaru lazily answered, with his back still facing Neji.  
  
"Are we really suppose to stay in this place?"  
  
"Where should we go after we get out of here?" Neji didn't answer him so Shikamaru thought of adding something, "Besides, we're lost, are we not?"  
  
"That seems strange. Don't you agree?"  
  
Shikamaru nodded and rotated the doorknob slowly...  
  
Ever since they've saw the mansion, Sakura was acting strange. She rarely spoke though before, it was either she or Shikamaru who does the talking. She didn't pound Naruto's head when he started banging the door and throwing foul languages at the door not minding if there was an occupant or none. And most of the time, she was just trembling behind him. What's wrong with her?  
  
Sasuke started walking to the opposite direction of Naruto and Hinata. He didn't mind whether he was going to check the room all by himself but on a second thought, he knew that Sakura would follow his tracks. While going to the door, he came to a stop, knowing that nobody was walking behind him. He turned around only to see Sakura standing absent-mindedly in the middle.  
  
"Oi, Sakura." He called out but the girl didn't move as if it didn't reach her senses.  
  
"Sakura." He called once again but with slightly annoyed tone. Still the girl didn't move.  
  
He decided to walk closer to her and shake her.  
  
"W-what?" Finally coming back to her senses, she was rather startled when she realized that Sasuke was holding her shoulders.  
  
"You're acting strange." Sasuke spat when he pulled back his hands.  
  
"H-huh? Me?"  
  
He sighed in defeat and maybe doesn't want to give her explanations about it, "Come with me, we're gonna check a room."  
  
"Ah. Okay." She followed Sasuke's trail.  
  
Now that Sasuke was facing the door, he reached out for the doorknob, slowly rotating it and they heard a click sound...  
  
_[To be continued]_  
  
------------------------------  
  
**[SDA]  
**  
_A/N: I don't think I'll be able to put some humor stuff here. Well, in that case, I'll have to renew the Genre . I have watched The Phone, so to add a shrill horror in this fic, I've finally had another idea. About the mansion... well you should just imagine the mansion as big as the mansion at the Haunted Mansion movie, or maybe the Zaoldyeck's mansion except the whole territory ok? I said that there wouldn't be an OC, but as you may see, the OC here was the caretaker, perhaps for now. And... the chapters are surprisingly short... isn't it? _


	5. Curiosity

**An overnight stay  
**

****

**Curiosity**  
  
When he had opened the door, the pink haired girl peaked out from his shoulder. From the inside, everything was darker however with the help of lightnings coming out of the window and the strong sound of falling rain preoccupied the depth-like darkness of the said room. He couldn't see more so he decided to come in. A creaking sound of his shoes against the floor as it made its contact gave the girl a hint that the boy has started walking.  
  
Before he could set his other foot for the next step, he felt his shirt tugged from behind and through that, he decided to stop.  
  
"What?" He asked.  
  
"Don't leave me..." The sound of tremble in her voice made him believe she was scared of something.  
  
And without second thoughts, he reached out his hand and held her soft and cold hand against his. Again, the sound of his and soon her footsteps began to mix with the sound of the roaring thunder coming from the outside. Sasuke started searching for the switch to open the lights. He touched the wall right beside the door frame and as soon as he felt that he had just found the switch, he turned it on.  
  
Nothing happened.  
  
"I guess the power was cut off..." Sakura commented, "or maybe there weren't any power at all."  
  
"Tch."  
  
Without the light they'll be having a hard time examining the room, lucky for them, he had brought his flashlight. He reached out for his bag, opened it and searched his flashlight.  
  
"I really...don't like this place, Sasuke-kun..." Sakura said while observing in the darkness.  
  
"Neither do I. But we don't have any other place to stay. And this rain... it wasn't supposed to rain." He replied. And as soon as he felt his flashlight, he immediately pulled it out of his bag and turned it on.  
  
The strong light emitting from the tool had struck Sakura's jade eyes, which was quickly shut, "Oops. Sorry, Sakura."  
  
Sakura had rubbed her eyes and smiled, "It's ok, Sasuke-kun."  
  
Now that they had the tool to look everything inside the room, they started walking again.  
  
------------------------------  
  
After a full seven minutes lingering inside the rooms, the teenagers went out one by one as they exited from the rooms where they've entered. Shikamaru said that there was only one large bed in which two persons can share. As for the room, if they will to divide the group into two, four or more people could share one room. However, the majority's decision has to be settled.  
  
"So guys, what do you prefer?" He shifted his attention to Neji.  
  
"Divison of two." The eldest answered. Shikamaru looked at Naruto.  
  
Naruto thought for a while, well, he wants to sleep with Hinata or Sakura but... "I'll go with Neji."  
  
And before Shikamaru completely get Sasuke's attention, Sasuke had answered right away, "Like he said."  
  
"How about you?" Shikamaru asked to the girls, although he already knew what would be their decision.  
  
Ino was the one who had answered for them, "We," referring to the girls, "will sleep together."  
  
There was a short silence after their conversation, but to not to waste any time, the group had been divided and walked off to their desired rooms.  
  
------------------------------  
  
"Hey Sakura," Ino was lying with her stomach on the bed and was looking directly at Sakura's direction, "Why were you so afraid a little while ago?"  
  
Sakura was now standing against the window frame of their room, watching the lightning and listening to the angry roars of thunder. She was like that after they've prepared their bed, "Me? What about you? Aren't you scared of this place?"  
  
"I'm scared, too. But... you really were acting strange. Ya know." Ino grinned sheepishly before saying, "And Sasuke was goddamn worried about you."  
  
She smiled, but it wasn't her usual sparkling smile, it was rather... sad smile. "Honestly speaking, when I first saw this mansion, something really pulled me to get here. I don't know what that was but I did felt something was eerie."  
  
Tenten decided to join the conversation, "Everything in this place is eerie."  
  
Sakura and Ino nodded. Hinata, after placing her bag beside theirs, sat beside Ino. "Ino, did your auntie expect us to arrive at her place at this time?"  
  
Ino shook her head, "No. Actually she didn't say anything. I just told her I'm tugging you guys along and we're gonna go mountain climbing and rest at their place. She wasn't even replying at all nor gave me details concerning our route."  
  
"Do you think she knew about this place?" Tenten queried.  
  
"I don't know. Like I said, she didn't tell me anything."  
  
They chose not to speak as of now. And for the meantime, they decided that they shouldn't be worrying too much about this place. That they should be grateful that the caretaker had let them through and lend the place for them to stay.  
  
------------------------------  
  
After settling down their things, the boys got their own positions inside the room. Naruto was lying with his back on the bed and his arms supporting his head. He was looking directly at the ceiling, wondering what will happen next. He was unexpectedly quiet for the past five minutes. Maybe he was sensing that something was not right about the situation they're currently in to.  
  
Shikamaru was lying next to Naruto, facing the side where he could see Sasuke and Neji. He was thinking too much and thought that everything had occurred was too troublesome. With his lazy attitude, he let his eyes dropped down.  
  
Neji was sitting quietly on a chair situated beside a round covered table. His left leg over the right and his arms rested across his chest. He was thinking, too, or rather recalling the past events.  
  
As quiet and distant as he always was, Sasuke sat with his right leg on the wide window sill while the left leg almost touching the floor. His right arm rested on his right leg and all he did was staring outside the window. In all honesty, he had been thinking that there was something wrong about their situation. First, earlier when they left the weather was really fine for trekking. There was no sign of any coming rains. Secondly, he'd trusted Shikamaru's instructions and directions and there's no way he would be wrong. But now, where were they? Shouldn't they be resting at Ino's auntie? And lastly, Sakura had been acting strange when she first saw the mansion until the very last second before they parted. He narrowed his eyes.  
  
Out of nowhere Neji spoke, "Do you guys noticed the oddity of our current situation?"  
  
"Like what?" Naruto popped up as soon as he sat up and was listening to Neji.  
  
"Shikamaru never make mistakes but we were lost. This strange mansion located at the heart of the forest, the untimely rain, the eeriness of this place and the mystery behind that man." Neji supplied Naruto what he was saying for him to realize what was really going on.  
  
"So what are you trying to say? We're gonna leave?" Naruto asked.  
  
"No. It's just too odd." Neji gazed at the brooding boy by the window, "And I noticed Sakura's silence. Believe me or not, I saw that man staring at Sakura more than once."  
  
He know he'd got his attention, because Sasuke stiffened in his place. "What does it have to do with Sakura?"  
  
Shikamaru decided to butt in, "Neji was trying to tell you that you better give Sakura extra protection. We don't know what that man is up to, especially to Sakura."  
  
Able to grasp what they were trying to point out, Naruto scratched the back of his head, "You mean to say, that old geezer is taking a liking to our Sakura? Hell, he won't be able to touch her because Sakura was sleeping with the girls. But if he makes a wrong move, even if he had gave us shelter, I won't hold back."  
  
Then again, there was silence. They didn't know what to do or even think about what's gonna happen next, though, Shikamaru was tempted to look all over the place.  
  
"Say, I know it was rude to walk around the mansion, but still, I really wanted to figure out what's in this place." He said while scratching his neck.  
  
"I'm going." Neji answered after figuring out that Shikamaru was actually inviting them.  
  
"I'm going, too. Soon after we gonna go eating dinner right?" Naruto butt in and was standing from his position.  
  
"Sasuke, are you coming?" Shikamaru asked as soon as the three of them were now standing near the door.  
  
Without hesitation, Sasuke stood up from his place and started walking to them.  
  
'I'll find out what's in that old man and why he was staring at Sakura...'  
  
_[To be continued]_  
-------------------------------------------  
**[SDA]  
**_A/N: I'm slacking, am I not? Oh well, I'm through with two written midterms and more to go. When I had started writing for 'Naruto Saga' my eagerness for writing has returned. I might focus my writing (and thinking) on that story, but there's a huge possibility that I could complete this story. (What about 'Unpredictable' and 'Behind the glares'? Hehe, I don't know)_


	6. The Rooms

**An overnight stay**

**The Rooms  
**  
Dwelling somewhere in the darkness, a shivering voice could be heard. Matching the cold breeze coming out of the window, all chills might struck anyone who could feel and hear it. When it stopped, a sound of a lifted object was heard. Then there was another sound of a lifted object, but the difference would be a sharp, piercing sound as if the object just slid from something hard, smooth and solid... like of a metal.  
  
Out of nowhere, a low succession of breathings could be heard. The period was too short that you would recognize that the person was in state of either nervousness or excitement.  
  
Soon after a thunder lightning crackled outside...  
  
And a demented laugh could be heard.  
  
------------------------------  
  
Walking in the center of a small hallway, Shikamaru lead the group of boys to find out the mystery of both the mansion and the caretaker. Holding his own flashlight to guide his way, he narrowed his eyes as if focusing only to one direction. Just right behind him was Neji. The oldest teenager have his own eyes focusing not only to one place, but to the whole place. He, too, has his own flashlight to observe everything in the hallway.  
  
Marching at Shikamaru's left side was the black haired boy. As curious and protective he had been, he brought himself with them to find out why the man was staring to his friend... or his 'something else'. He disposed the fright that he should be feeling at this moment just to find out the real reason. After all, he had been protecting Sakura and it was natural for him to feel so angry from what he had just heard from Neji. He knew Neji wasn't playing pranks on him, that boy never did, so he decided to come.  
  
Naruto, who only came because he knew any minute that they will be coming down for the dinner the old man offered to them. However, this aim was changed only a little after figuring out what his comrades had been feeling. One of his friends would be in grave danger if they didn't find the reason of why he was looking at her and why he was too friendly to them. Although frightened because of the total darkness, he held out his flashlight and struck the floor to see where he was heading.  
  
They had been quiet while walking the corridor. Only the rain could be heard from the other side of the walls and also the thud sounds of their feet against the floor. Other than those, everything was silent.  
  
After some walks, Shikamaru stopped. And the rest did so. Shikamaru tilted his head a little for them to see some view of his face and to know that he's about to tell them something.  
  
"There's only one room in this corridor. Aside from it, there's another small corridor on both sides." He pointed to his right by his index finger, then to the left. "I don't know if there would be other rooms. So, which one should we open?"  
  
There was a short silence but sooner, Neji had finally came up with a decision.  
  
"Why don't we separate and look for the other rooms? We can save time by doing that." He said.  
  
"If so, I'll check this one." Shikamaru decided, leaving the three to decide where they would go.  
  
Neji wheeled his head to the right where he could see only darkness. "Then I'll go that way."  
  
Shikamaru turned around to talk to the remaining two boys, "Sasuke, you go to the left. And Naruto--"  
  
"I'll go with Sasuke." Naruto grinned.  
  
Sasuke glared Naruto for choosing to accompany him, "Scaredy cat. Just stay here."  
  
Naruto glared him back, "Bastard! I'm not scared! Besides, it was just an assumption that there would only be three rooms in each end of the corridors!"  
  
Shikamaru butted in to stop the argument, "We have fifteen minutes to observe, after that, we'll meet in this area. If something happened, just give a ring." (Yes, they all have their own cellphones. This is the modern time.)  
  
After hearing the instructions, Sasuke started walking to the left, to where he was destined to go.  
  
Shikamaru started walking straight to approach the door and Neji, to the dark corridor where he would have to search for something. So as to this moment, Naruto was standing at the intersection -- alone. He flared up.  
  
"Hey Sasuke!! Don't leave me!!"  
  
------------------------------  
  
Tenten stiffened in her place.  
  
"What's wrong Tenten?" Hinata asked.  
  
She looked at Hinata and back to the door, "I think I just heard the other door opened and then closed."  
  
"Might be the boys' room. Probably they went out without us." Ino declared while combing her hair as she was sitting comfortably at the bed.  
  
"They're mean if they did. I mean why would they go without us?" Tenten countered, sounding a little annoyed.  
  
"I don't know." Was her reply.  
  
And again, Sakura had been so quiet the entire time. The rest of the girls decided that maybe she was really thinking something so deeply and that she doesn't want anyone to mess up with her during that time. However, deep inside Sakura, the odd feeling did not even left her. Something's not really right...  
  
For example, she felt that she's been watched from a distance. The heavy feeling of being watched was too intense that she had finally found where she's going to look at. Slowly wheeling her head to the old dresser mirror, she noticed the blurry and foggy vision of a young version of herself looking back at her. Although there wasn't supposed to be an image of herself since the mirror was far from her (not even in front of her), there was the image... of 'her'.  
  
'How in the world...' She would asked while narrowing her eyes to be able to sharpen the image in the mirror.  
  
However, the image disappeared as fast as it appeared.  
  
And she was stunned with her obviously shocked expression.  
  
"Sakura?" One of the girls asked, looking very anxious to her friend.  
  
But Sakura didn't answer nor looked back at them, instead, she bolted out of the room... extremely terrified.  
  
"Sakura!!"  
  
------------------------------  
  
Entering the forbidden room in the mansion, Neji still couldn't resist himself to explore what's inside the mansion and what was really going on. When he separated himself from the boys, he immediately walked off to his chosen exploring area. However, before he could open the door right in front of him, he felt a very very strange feeling creeping around the atmosphere that he needed to pause every minute to observe what he was feeling. Not so soon, he would resume walking until he was standing right in front of the door. He observed the wrecked wooden door with a rusty doorknob.  
  
He trusts his instincts very often that he immediately entered the room by turning the doorknob and pushing the door very slowly.  
  
'Why do I have this feeling that there's something going on in this house?' He thought nonetheless entered the room anyway.  
  
The sound of his slow footsteps against the floor could be heard every now and then. While holding his trusty flashlight, he didn't miss all the things he wanted to see. He would thrust the flashlight from left to right to see everything inside.  
  
Not so long that he stopped observing what was to his left and to his right when something caught his white-pearl eyes.  
  
He stood there for a couple of seconds with his flashlight almost thrusting what he was looking at.  
  
Maybe he needed to collect courage before he could straighten the level of his equipment to lighten what he was really looking at.  
  
And when he did, he froze.  
  
There was an old huge portrait of a family consisting of a mother, father and girl. But he wasn't really focusing to the parents, but was really stunned when he locked his gaze to the daughter.  
  
'No...way...'  
  
------------------------------  
  
"Damn it. This place gives me the creeps." Naruto would comment as if trying to hide the nervousness inside of him.  
  
"Shut up, dobe." Was Sasuke's counter to keep Naruto's voice down so that the caretaker won't hear them.  
  
They've been walking for about three minutes until they ended up in a dark dead end. It was not a dead end actually, there was a door the thing is the door won't budge. And this made Sasuke frustrated. He thought that they would just go back and tell Shikamaru and tell him they couldn't open the door. But remembering what Neji said to him made him broke the urge to go back. And so, they ended up experimenting how to open the door.  
  
Prying as if trying to end all this things, Naruto examined the door and found out that there's a keyhole underneath the doorknob. He walked until he was standing in front of it and bowed down to level his eyes to the keyhole.  
  
'Idiot. You won't see anything from the other side.' Sasuke commented and smirked at his' friend's actions.  
  
However, he noticed that Naruto had been crouching too long. It turned out that there was something from the other side. He could, somehow, feel it, too.  
  
"Oi Naruto, stop peeking from that keyhole. Let's go back."  
  
Naruto didn't answer, instead, he slowly regained his posture and turned to Sasuke. His eyes were wide as if surprised, shocked or whatsoever.  
  
"What?" Irritated because of his' expression.  
  
"Sa...sa...S-sakura."  
  
Through her name, he immediately crouched down and peeked from the keyhole.  
  
There was nothing in the room, however, as the lightning struck outside the room, giving a little light inside the room... Sasuke froze.  
  
'This cannot be.'  
  
------------------------------  
  
Observing everything inside by the use of his flashlight, Shikamaru assured that he had entered the master's bedroom. It was just too big and too elegant but everything was covered with white fabric.  
  
'There's nothing here... So I guess...'  
  
When he was about to leave, there was something from the dresser mirror that caught his eyes. The drawer was slightly pulled out and then there was a silver thing peeking out from it. Without second thoughts, he went to it.  
  
Flashing the light to the things he could see, he saw an open notebook tempting him to read it's content. When he lifted the notebook, he immediately saw the date from the upper right page.  
  
This must be a journal.  
  
He took the journal to his left hand while fixing the flashlight from his right hand. He placed the journal to the desk and started reading the page where he saw it open.  
  
After a full forty seconds of reading, he froze.  
  
"Shit."  
  
_[To be continued]_  
-------------------------------  
**[SDA]**  
_A/N: I'm sorry for the late..yes very late update! I have tons of plates to be done and right now, I have to steal my own time to entertain you guys... (hey thanks for reviewing huh? I am so happy!! I do hope I could reach 20 reviews from here... wahhh) Anyway, this story wouldn't take that long I'm almost at the end of it. I'm so guilty when I get back online (pRO)... I really wanted to go back writing!! As in ONLY writing and reading fanfics! Oh well, after a month of suffering, I could, FINALLY, focus to my stories (the unfinished ones). Better wait for the next chapter ok?_


	7. Encounter with the Ghost

**An overnight stay**

**Encounter with the Ghost  
**  
Three pairs of footsteps can be heard down the hallway as if pursuing somebody. Not just running steps alone, but also, the sound of their feminine, screaming voices.  
  
"SAKURA!!!"  
  
"Sakura!! Stop!!"  
  
They kept on running to an endless darkness, unable to locate where they friend had gone to. Suddenly, one of them stopped. She crouched down the floor while gasping for air. The tall one paused and looked back at her friend.  
  
"Hinata, stand up! We have to find Sakura!"  
  
"Please... let me... take a break..." Hinata pleaded while her head bowed down.  
  
"You go ahead Ino, we'll tell this to the guys." The brunette suggested as she knelt down to assist Hinata.  
  
Ino paused. She will look for her best friend all by herself. In the middle of this shivering darkness. Can she really withstand all of this? She didn't even know where she was going to find her. Where is she going to start?  
  
"No..." Both of them snapped as they heard the trembling voice of Hinata. "We shouldn't be separated. We all find her together. It's not safe to wander around this mansion alone."  
  
'I could feel it... there's something in this place... And it gives me the chill.'  
  
However, Ino protested trying to hide her weakness, "But Sakura has gone all alone by herself! We don't even know what's happening to her! She's like.. she's not herself anymore."  
  
"Do you think we're safe if we go alone? We'll end up losing each other. We have to find her by group. Let's head back and find the boys." Hinata defended while slowly standing up from her position.  
  
"Anyone have their phones?" Tenten asked.  
  
"I do. I'll call Shikamaru."  
  
------------------------------  
  
Still in state of shock upon reading the journal that he's holding, the vibrating phone in his pockets snapped him back to reality. He quickly put down the journal and took the phone out of his pockets.  
  
He checked the person who's calling him.  
  
Ino.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Where are you guys?! Why did you leave your room?!" An angry voice from the other line echoed in his ears.  
  
"We were observing the mansion and I found something. Why did you call anyway?" He placed the phone between his cheek and his shoulder to have his free hand get the journal.  
  
"Sakura is..." She trailed off.  
  
Upon hearing the name of the comrade, he couldn't help himself to worry, "What's with Sakura?" He hastily asked.  
  
"She...she ran out of our room. She was terrified. Shikamaru, we couldn't find her! We need your help!"  
  
"Ok I got it. We'll meet you back in your room. Hurry up and go back." Shikamaru immediately called Neji.  
  
------------------------------  
  
His eyes still glued in the huge portrait that he was looking at. He couldn't figure out why and how that 'girl' is in the portrait because she looks very much like of...  
  
RING. RING. RING.  
  
Finally snapping out of his reverie, he immediately took out his phone from his pocket.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Neji, let's head back. Sakura's missing."  
  
Knowing who called, he was at ease. But the last sentence bounced back like an echo in his mind.  
  
Shikamaru added, "We have to find her as soon as possible or else..."  
  
"Or else what?" Neji curiously asked where he was actually feeling fear for their friend.  
  
"She would be in grave danger."  
  
------------------------------  
  
RING. RING. RING.  
  
Hearing the succession of phone rings, Sasuke withdraw his eyes from the keyhole and looked at Naruto's location. It was Naruto's phone ringing noisily.  
  
"Hello?" Naruto asked.  
  
"This is Shikamaru. We have to head back immediately." Shikamaru said from the other line, which is also heard by Sasuke. Naruto activated the loud speaker.  
  
"Why? What's happening?"  
  
"...where's Sasuke?"  
  
Naruto leveled the phone in Sasuke's mouth.  
  
"Here."  
  
"We have trouble."  
  
Sasuke had a feeling about the trouble Shikamaru is talking about. And when he heard the trouble, he couldn't help himself being shocked and dead-worried at the same time that he almost dropped into his knees.  
  
"Sakura's missing."  
  
------------------------------  
  
After several minutes of running back to where they had started, they found out that the news was true.  
  
Sakura was really missing.  
  
Angrily, Sasuke advanced forward to talk face to face with Ino, "What happened? Why was she missing?" He grabbed her shoulders and shook her wildly.  
  
In reaction, Ino shot teary eyes to Sasuke. "I don't know. She was just so quiet... then... then... when we noticed that she was terrified of something we didn't even know, we called her. We thought she would reply, but then... all she did was to run away. And now, we couldn't find her."  
  
"Tsk." He balled his fist as if the anger covered all of his muscles.  
  
"Calm down everybody." Tenten interrupted, feeling the heated Sasuke over the sorrowful Ino. "We are here to find her, not to quarrel over her disappearance." Then she stared at the boys. "Why did you all leave anyway?"  
  
"We're gonna tell you everything after we get ourselves in your room." Shikamaru said and looked to his male comrades, "we're gonna transfer to their rooms. I'll explain what I have."  
  
After depositing their things inside the girls' room, Sasuke demanded to find Sakura as soon as possible, which was in turn, contracdicted by Ino, who wanted to find out why they left and what they found. Shikamaru halted them both and told them that he will tell them everything.  
  
After a full-five seconds of silence, he breathe in and took out the notebook from his pocket.  
  
------------------------------  
  
'Why did I have to run... why did I run... I couldn't even control my body... why was it running away from my friends...'  
  
_Run._  
  
'Who said that?'  
  
_Get away from this place._  
  
'Where are you?'  
  
_Just go._  
  
'Wait!!'  
  
Sakura found herself in the middle of a room in which all of the furnitures were covered with white fabric. Just where is this place. Where did her own feet lead her?  
  
She wheeled her head from left to right just to figure out where she is.  
  
'Where is this place... Where am I?'  
  
She started walking towards the window sill to have a better look at the other side.  
  
And when she did, she couldn't help herself but to grab her sides to prevent from shaking.  
  
From the other side of the window, she could clearly see three crosses that had stuck on the ground. So this room is on the ground floor... facing the cemetery of the mansion. She gulped all her worries and returned her attention inside the room. It was still raining and it's very cold.  
  
It was very unfortunate for her situation because she didn't even have flashlight nor brought her own cellphone. She only carried herself.  
  
She sat under the window sill and gathered her knees to her chest. She was shivering. Not just from the coldness, but also from the terrifying feeling that she couldn't even describe.  
  
'I'm all alone in this deserted mansion. I couldn't even call everybody to help me. There's something in this place that wants me... but who? What is it? I... I can't stay in this place any longer... I feel like... I'm going to be crazy.'  
  
She brought her head into her knees and started weeping. How helpless.  
  
_Hey..._  
  
She stopped sobbing when she heard someone spoke.  
  
_Stop crying._  
  
She hoped it was Sasuke encouraging her, but the voice was small and feminine.  
  
_Talk to me, please._  
  
Slowly, Sakura lifted her head to see who was the person talking to her. At first, she thought it was her eyes fooling her. Well, partly because she had cried and her tears were already dried in her cheeks, yet there are some left in her sockets. But something at the back of her head saying that there's no problem in her eyesight. The image of a young girl, standing right in front of her, was blurred and likely to be transparent.  
  
She's like a ghost.  
  
Instead of being frightened, Sakura was just there, staring back at the kid. Why didn't she run? It's because she could feel that the kid won't harm her, especially when the kid smiled at her. Is someone playing pranks on her?  
  
'What do you want?' Sakura asked in her head, though referring to the kid in front of her.  
  
_I want to help you._  
  
Sakura raised an eyebrow in curiosity. This kid wanted to help her?  
  
"Why?" She finally speak out.  
  
_You'll be in danger if you stay..._ There was anxiety in the kid's emerald orbs, just like hers.  
  
Sakura's face softened a little, but the next words the kid had told her gave another shock.  
  
_...just like what happened to me._  
  
_To be continued_  
-----------------------------------  
**SDA**  
_A/N: Ok I'm giving you guys another chapter and it took me only ONE DAY to finish this chapter. Well it's because, like I said before, I have lots and lots of things to do. I hope you like the CLIFFIES, yes, every horror/mystery/suspense fics should have cliffies like this. (evil grins) Well, I'm so happy, really happy, that you guys like this fic. Actually, I thought nobody would like it. Special mention to Izumi, you're my frequent reviewer! Thank u so much! And knowing that you're a Filipino makes me so happy, too!  
  
Ugh to those readers who knows what will happen next, please don't reveal it yet. Let the others feel the suspense . Spoilers ain't doing good you know. Another thing, the request for 'kilig moments' or 'romantic scenes' will be granted FOR the next chapters. I hope you guys continue to R&R my fics. _


	8. Revealing the Truth

**An overnight stay  
**

_A/N: To answer Maya's comments, there won't be any Advance Bloodline specialties neither Ninjutsu and Genjutsu. In my point of view, they're just common teenagers . Remember, this is an AU (alternate universe, correct me if I'm wrong) fic. As for the fighting scenes, don't worry I'll include it._

* * *

**Revealing the truth**  
  
Sakura was still sitting under the window sill while listening to the girl. She was curious as to what happened to the kid. She wanted to know why this girl wanted to help her... wanted her to runaway from here.  
  
"Why are you telling me to runaway? I have to find my friends." She would say.  
  
_You must runaway. That man won't hurt your friends_.  
  
"Who's man?"  
  
_He... the one who...killed my father and my mother._  
  
"Killed your parents? But why?" There was a trace of worry in her eyes and in her voice.  
  
_Please... just go... I know that they will be okay.  
_  
"But... just what happened? Tell me! Why am I being told to go faraway?"  
  
The girl looked away. She wasn't prepared to tell Sakura what happened but then, maybe, without uttering words, she could tell her what happened.  
  
The girl extended her hands to Sakura. Just what is this kid trying to do?  
  
"What?"  
  
_Hold my hand... I'll show you what happened.  
_  
------------------------------  
  
After Shikamaru took out the notebook, everyone looked at him with obviously questioning eyes.  
  
Naruto spoke, "What're you gonna do with the notebook?"  
  
Shikamaru ignored his idiot comrade as he was searching for the page where he was going to show as an evidence.  
  
"Don't let us hanging Shikamaru, what's in that--" Tenten was cut off by Shikamaru himself.  
  
"This is a journal. I found this in one of the rooms I've been to."  
  
"So what can that thing do to help us?" Sasuke mocked, annoyed and worried for Sakura's disappearance.  
  
Shikamaru lazily looked at Sasuke and countered his words, "After listening to me, Sasuke, you'll find yourself more and more worried for her. You just don't know what this journal contains."  
  
"Damn it! Why can't we just look for her!?" Sasuke demanded.  
  
"Because we have to know what's going on here first! We have to have a strategy before heading on!" Shikamaru contradicted, with his hands clutching the journal.  
  
"Stop it will ya!! I'm sick of your quarrels!" Naruto rebutted as he was examining Sasuke's fiery eyes over the lazy eyes of Shikamaru.  
  
After halting them down, there was silence everywhere. However, as Sakura's best friend, Ino wanted this thing over now that she insisted Shikamaru to tell them what's in the journal.  
  
"Shikamaru... tell us... what's in that journal?"  
  
Shikamaru locked gazes with Ino then back to the journal. "According to this journal, this mansion was owned by a well-known family. They were rich and famous. Both the mother and the father were big shots in the business. They only have one child, though, and it was a girl..."  
  
Among them, Neji visualized the portrait he saw back then when he was examining the designated area. So they were the owner of this house.  
  
Shikamaru continued, "The girl grew up in this place wherein she was discovered by a well-known manager, making her one of the best child actresses in her time. Years after, the family received a threat. It was something about the shares and stocks from the business... And so, the girl's parents hired a bodyguard for their kid's protection."  
  
Frustrated as he was, Sasuke rebutted, "Just what are you getting at?"  
  
"I'm not yet through." Shikamaru looked again in the journal, "The parents decided to go somewhere else to seek help, leaving their only child to the bodyguard's care. What they didn't know is..." Shikamaru looked at everyone with serious eyes, "The bodyguard was a psycho. A wanted-murderer and a hired assassin."  
  
They heard the girls' gasps after listening to what Shikamaru just said to them. But, what's the psycho's relation to their situation?  
  
"He was going to assassinate the family so that the one who hired him will take over the family's riches. Since, the parents were gone, he took the advantage of doing his job for the kid. However, he didn't kill the kid yet... but... he..."  
  
"He 'what', Shikamaru?" Hinata asked, though there was a trace of tremble in her voice.  
  
"He raped the girl."  
  
"Oh shit..." They heard Naruto's reaction while the other girls' grabbed themselves to restrain from shaking.  
  
"Not just once... it says here. Anyway, when the parents went home, they were instantly killed. Their bodies were disposed afterwards, burying behind the mansion."  
  
"Behind this mansion?" Neji asked.  
  
"Yeah. Another thing, it says here, they were killed to the left most part of the house. I think that's where we assigned Sasuke and Naruto to observe."  
  
"What happened to the girl now?" Ino asked, finally.  
  
Shikamaru looked at her for a while then back to the journal, "She was repeatedly raped and killed right after."  
  
"This is bullshit. I'll find Sakura." Sasuke said out of nowhere and is about to leave when Neji interrupted him.  
  
When he heard what Neji said, he couldn't help but to remain in his position.  
  
"The girl Shikamaru was talking about has the exact image of Sakura."  
  
"What?!" Ino bursted out and grabbed Shikamaru's shirt. "But what does it have to do with Sakura?!"  
  
"Neji told us that the caretaker was stealing glances to Sakura right after we went in. Combining the story with our present situation... That caretaker was the psycho and he might have thought that Sakura was the girl that he already killed..."  
  
After a full seconds of silence, Tenten broke the chilly atmosphere, "so what're we going to do then?"  
  
"We have to stop the caretaker, find Sakura and leave this place."  
  
Angry as ever, Sasuke immediately took his and Sakura's bag and dashed outside the room.  
  
"Sasuke!!" Naruto shouted, trying to stop his comrade.  
  
"No choice." Shikamaru sighed and took his own bag, "Naruto, Hinata. Go with Sasuke. Be sure to give us a call if something happened. The rest of us will find the caretaker. I think he haven't found her yet."  
  
The gang nodded and went out of the room, dragging their things, in search for Sakura and the caretaker.  
  
------------------------------  
  
'Oh my God...'  
  
Withdrawing her shaky hands from the touch of the kid, her eyes shot fiercely to the girl. She couldn't believe what she just saw.  
  
_Now you see what that 'man' can do to you._ The girl would say and a bitter smile on her face proved that all she wanted to do was to help Sakura not to experience the same thing.  
  
However, Sakura contradicted the girl's thoughts, "What made you think he'll do that to me?" She asked with angry-face masked concealing the fear she was feeling.  
  
_He may have thought that you're me. That I'm still alive due to your sudden appearance._  
  
"Only a psycho would think that way!" She shouted in disbelief.  
  
_I know... For he, himself was a psycho._  
  
------------------------------  
  
Sasuke increased his speed while searching for Sakura. He had known and felt Naruto and Hinata's presence behind, following his tracks.  
  
"Oi! Bastard! Do you know where to find her?"  
  
The raven-haired kid didn't answer, instead, he swerved to the side and ran again as if he could feel Sakura's presence.  
  
"Naruto-kun, we have to open each doors to find her!" Hinata suggested while running behind Sasuke.  
  
Hearing what the female comrade suggested, Sasuke immediately kicked the door on his right and thrust his flashlight inside the room.  
  
"Sakura!!" He shouted her name for him to find her. But when he found no one, he immediately walked out of the room and kicked the next door.  
  
Naruto did the same as he was accompanied by Hinata.  
  
------------------------------  
  
Even in darkness, Shikamaru, Ino, Neji and Tenten, were running full force to find the psychotic murderer. After being separated from Sasuke's group, they are on their own to stop the caretaker's malicious actions. Problems arise when they couldn't find where the caretaker would be. They were already in the dining hall where they were told to go to after they've prepared for their rooms.  
  
All were panting heavily due to almost-loss of stamina while running.  
  
"Fuck! He's not here!" Ino yelled in an exasperated tone.  
  
Shikamaru and Neji wheeled their heads while holding their flashlights, being thrusted to where they were looking at. Still they have no clue to where to find the caretaker.  
  
"Where should we go from here?" Tenten asked out loud while gasping for air. "C'mon let's go find them."  
  
Hastily, Shikamaru searched for Naruto's number and called him.  
  
------------------------------  
  
RING. RING. RING.  
  
Figuring out that it was his phone ringing, Naruto immediately grabbed his phone to one of his pockets and answered the call.  
  
The person on the other line asked him, "We can't find Wakku. Where're you?"  
  
"Downstairs. But we can't find Sakura!" Naruto frustratingly screamed while clutching his phone on his right hand and the flashlight on his left.  
  
"Ok, we'll be on our way there. We have to go in one group now." Shikamaru suggested.  
  
Naruto can hear Shikamaru's heavy breathing, indication that the person is running.  
  
"Alright."  
  
_To be continued  
_-------------------------------  
**SDA**  
_A/N: alright there you go, another updated chappie. Right now I'm listening to Naruto OSTs, they're just the ones I've downloaded. Btw, FYI, I cosplayed last night as Princess Garnet (FF9) with her final weapon, Tiger Racket.. well, what can I say, I only have few pics in my hand, I have to find someone who took pictures of me.  
  
The next chapter will be... uhhh... I won't spill a thing just sit back and relax and wait for the next update. I hope you enjoy this chapter. (I'm working with Unpredictable, too.. but in slow progress...) _


	9. Search and Escape

**An overnight stay**

**Search and Escape**  
  
"Sakura!!"  
  
"Sakura-chan!!"  
  
Huff. Huff. Huff.  
  
Hinata, Naruto and Sasuke had been searching almost all the rooms in the ground floor but they still haven't found Sakura. After circling around, Sasuke stopped in front of the wide stairs which was only a couple of meters to the huge entrance. Gasping for air, Shikamaru's group came running down the stairs to meet them carrying the news that they couldn't find the caretaker.  
  
'Damn... Sakura... just where are you!?'  
  
------------------------------  
  
The rain won't stop. Neither the sounds of the booming thunder and clashing of the lightning into the sky. It didn't help her, actually, it added to her fear from what she had heard from the little girl. She cannot stop shivering in her place. Right now, she was sitting on the ground with her knees apart and her face looking down the floor. She was clutching desperately into to her head, both hands shaking and eyes wide-open.  
  
_Do not fear. You have to get out of here fast._  
  
There was no answer from the teenager with pink hair. How could she answer neither listen to what this ghost was telling to her? She barely stood up in her own feet. She shouldn't be involved in here. She was just having a nice vacation with her friends... she shouldn't be in this place, being haunted by this ghost, being chased by a murderer. This is all wrong.  
  
'Everyone... HELP me...'  
  
_C'mon on! Stand up! You have to get out of here!_  
  
Finding a little courage from the desperate ghost, she was picking up herself with more obvious trembling motions. With her eyes still darted on the floor, she slowly looked past the transparent figure in front of her and started walking slowly to the door where she assumed she had used to enter the room that she was into.  
  
'I don't want to die...'  
  
------------------------------  
  
Meeting everybody, Shikamaru told them that they have to stick together for them not to be harmed and worst... not to be...killed. Though deep inside him, he knows they won't be killed unless they interrupted the caretaker while killing their friend... Haruno Sakura.  
  
Everybody was panting heavily and the girls had their knees on the floor. With the aid of their flashlights, they continuously thrusting the light around the area in hope to see one of the people that they had been looking for. To their disappointment, none of them was seen.  
  
Naruto jerked up when he felt that Sasuke just rose from the floor and is walking out of group.  
  
"Oi! We better sti--"  
  
"I'm not going to stop until I find Sakura!!" Sasuke immediately fired his anger to Naruto and added as his warning with a grave tone, "so don't try to stop me."  
  
And maybe because of Sasuke's anger, Ino also flared up, "If you are so stubborn to go by yourself, then do it!! You'll get yourself killed before you could even save Sakura!"  
  
Surprised with her reaction, everybody except for Sasuke stared at her. As for Sasuke, with his mixed emotions reaching at its peak, he couldn't control himself but to walked briskly towards Ino. He extended his hands with his index finger pointing at her as if accusing her of something.  
  
"Can't you understand that your BEST friend is in the line of life and death!? This is all your fault!! If you didn't drag us here, we won't be having this situation! You were leading her to her death!!"  
  
Ino slapped Sasuke's finger with her back hand. She was totally, no, extremely hurt. Sasuke had no right to tell all those words to her, even if he stated the obvious... He really cared for Sakura. And besides, Ino knows Sakura more than he does. She would never ever leave Sakura even at times like this because Sakura was like a sister to her. She started pointing her finger to Sasuke and screaming her lungs out.  
  
"Damn you, Sasuke! Don't accuse me that this is all my fault!! I know that she's in the most dangerous state!! Don't you dare say to me that I don't care what will happen to her because she's like a sister to me!!"  
  
Shikamaru held Ino's elbows after she spoke, preventing another bombarding or maybe, physical reaction before she could hit Sasuke. On the other hand, Naruto was preventing Sasuke to fire back. He could predict what will happen next. Sasuke might punch Ino, in a way that he might even forgot that he's dealing with a girl. Actually, it was their first time to see these people quarrel like this.  
  
"We have no time for your argumentsl. We have to find Sakura now and leave." Neji stood up between them. Then after he had confirmed that no one would dare to open another quarrel, he darted off faraway from the stairs.  
  
Sasuke angrily wrenched himself from Naruto's grip and followed Neji's trail.  
  
Opening every doors that they see, they still couldn't find where Sakura is neither the caretaker. Most of them are feeling nervous by now, but they shouldn't stop searching for their friend. Minutes later, Ino told Shikamaru that they should go out of the house and check the first floor by the window. There are some rooms that won't budge, she reasoned. Shikamaru agreed in her suggestion and divided the group again. But the mere fact that Sasuke was not going to listen to them made Shikamaru to let him do what he wants, however, Naruto and Neji will be on his side. So in other words, Shikamaru will go with the girls, not just to guide them, but also to protect them.  
  
Splitting after the plan, Shikamaru and the girls ran back to the huge and wide stairs. Flashing the light to the next trail, Shikamaru found the large door locked from the outside.  
  
'Shit! We're locked!' He thought.  
  
"This is fucking bullshit! Why is the door locked from the outside?!" Ino cursed, almost crying while banging the huge door with her frail hands.  
  
"Stop it, Ino." Tenten said, grabbing Ino's red fisted-hands away from the door.  
  
"He will kill us all!!" Ino cried and hugged Tenten with all her strength. Tenten rubbed her back as if to calm her down.  
  
Hinata stayed quiet beside Shikamaru. She won't be panicking like this because that won't do anything. As if reading Shikamaru's mind, she looked to the window to the left and thought of a plan.  
  
'Good. The windows are made of glass.' Shikamaru thought and walked around the area.  
  
"Chairs or tables or anything can break the glass, Shika-kun." Hinata suggested while pointing all the things that had been covered by white sheets.  
  
"Yeah, I know. Everybody back away, I'll destroy that window."  
  
Hastily, Shikamaru grabbed one of the small round table and threw it straight to the glass window. The smashing sound could be heard anywhere so Shikamaru hastily grabbed Ino's hands and told her to go through it. There are broken glasses everywhere that anyone should be careful walking and crawling. But because Ino was panicking, she was cut from both of her arms and her legs.  
  
"Ignore the pain Ino! Just move!" Shikamaru commanded, a little concerned to her, too.  
  
Just right after Ino went pass the broken window, Tenten jumped out so that she couldn't get herself wounded. Hinata and Shikamaru did the same.  
  
Unfortunately, it was still raining outside the mansion, but this shouldn't affect them. They must find where Sakura is. Shikamaru lead the girls as he started running to the spacious ground behind the mansion.  
  
------------------------------  
  
Even though his head was steaming with anger, Sasuke was still running and barging each rooms inside the mansion. There was something at the back of his mind that he felt uneasy and very worried. He was scared of the fact that they will undoubtedly face the psycho murderer around this area. However, that wasn't the reason behind his worried and angry face... he was thinking about the worst case scenario... He gritted his teeth and slammed the nearest door. It won't budge... and it annoyed him.  
  
"Sakura!!" He shouted while repeatedly punching the door.  
  
Neji and Naruto ceased running. They looked at Sasuke as if they pity him. It was obvious, although they have seen and felt it many times that Sasuke cared a lot for Sakura. Well, maybe it's because she's a friend. She's also their friend, but by looking at Sasuke, the gap between Sasuke's concern and their concern for her was far too strong.  
  
Naruto had always cared for Sakura. He had promised to her that no matter what happens he'll come to save her. Neji, although, he's not as close as Naruto and Sasuke to Sakura, considered her as his friend. He had seen her a lot of times, hanging around with his cousin, Hinata. He knows that the girl was far more sensitive than his cousin. So why was he concern again? Sakura is his friend.  
  
"Sakura!!" They heard Sasuke shouted again, listening to the echo of his angry tone.  
  
They followed Sasuke again to look for their missing 'friend'.  
  
_To be continued_  
-------------------------------  
**SDA**  
_A/N: Seems like you peepz are beginning to like my first suspense/mystery/horror fic. I'm so glad to know that! Ahem, anyways, I'm kinda prolonging the 'searching' part, hehe, isn't it obvious? But hey, we have to know what's going on with the group. Their emotions, how they plan considering their frustrating situation, etc. I have a feeling that most of my readers are waiting for the romance (in Tagalog, 'kilig' moments) scene. Don't worry, I'll still include that and the fighting scene, too.  
  
You know what? I'm supposed to answer the take-home exam. Yet I'm still here, filling the A/N for you. Actually this chapter was finished a week ago, but due to hell-week, I wasn't able to do so. And for me to continue this fic, I must watch/read another horror movie (like that of The Doll Master... hehehe...)  
  
Watch out for the next chapter! It will be uploaded within the week! Rock on! _


	10. Sasuke's Feelings

**An overnight stay**

**Sasuke's feelings**  
  
Searching for courage, Sakura crawled her way towards the door. She had passed through the hazy image of a girl which she thought was her younger self, but she could hear the ghost's encourage words to uplift her. She could also hear how her heart thumped loudly in her ears and thought that she was really, really scared of what was happening to her. Who wouldn't be? In her state where someone is chasing for her to be killed? And that she was separated from her friends? That she was actually talking to a ghost who was giving her a premonition? Is this what they call as...  
  
Bad luck?  
  
'I have to find Sasuke-kun and the others... maybe if I scream they will hear me...'  
  
When her trembled hands reached the door knob, she mandated to turn it and push the door and make her way to find the others.  
  
But...  
  
...it opened by itself.  
  
She gasped in surprised when she heard the creaking sound of the door when it was slowly opening, pulling away from her. At first she couldn't see anything in darkness.  
  
However...  
  
When the light lend her what she needed...  
  
She wished she had locked the door instead.  
  
------------------------------  
  
It was the very last room that they could find out of the rest of the rooms that they couldn't barge in. While running however, Sasuke could feel that there's something wrong going on around the place. He wished his instinct was wrong but he must face whatever he must face. But then again, he had wished the worst would never come. It won't happen.  
  
'Never.'  
  
Upon succeedingly opening the door, Sasuke, Neji and Naruto immediately ran inside to investigate. It was rather the biggest room they've ever been to. With the help of their flashlights, the trio immediately spread out to search for any clue of where the two would be.  
  
They cannot recognize what room they were in to. But it seems like they are having a little idea of the occupant of the room.  
  
...the caretaker.  
  
Why? There are lots of cut out articles and pictures posted on the walls. And by looking at it, all of the articles are about the family that he had massacred. There were splattered dried blood all over the newspaper articles. Then there's the document across the wall. It was a total mess but as Neji crouched down and scrutinize things, all of the documents are about the mansion, the family business, the kid's contract and other important document matters.  
  
'What's this person wants anyway? For a psycho like him, he didn't need any of this.'  
  
Sasuke was angrily kicking all the boxes that had been blocking his way. He opened the cabinet and rummaged all the things that he could take outside. He was breathing heavily but he never screamed out of exhaustion because his priority should be done already. Suddenly he went to a small cabinet near the bed of the occupant. As he pulled the first drawer, he couldn't believe what he just saw.  
  
In that certain drawer he just pulled contained a picture of a young girl.  
  
With an exact image of Sakura when she was seven...  
  
His eyes were wide and shaking as he was slowly picking up the small picture out of the drawer. Naruto and Neji noticed that there were no sounds of kicking and tossing things. And as they walked to him, they both understood what Sasuke had felt.  
  
"Neji," Sasuke finally spoke, getting the attention of the boys, "I think I should believe on what you guys were saying before."  
  
The Hyuuga boy looked straight to Sasuke, even though Sasuke's head had bent down, looking at the pink haired girl. For all this time, Sasuke was stubborn to accept the fact about the girl, the caretaker, this house and Sakura. Sasuke, who had his eyes still glued on the picture, reminisced something in his past.  
  
(Flashback)  
  
It was fall and the leaves on the trees had the darker shades of brown. When the wind blew their way to them, they effortlessly go with it and fall down after several swirls. Some trees doesn't have leaves nor flowers. It was gloomy. Gloomy and cold. An image of little Sasuke was seen under the tree with all its leaves continue falling down like rain. He was seven and he was wearing his sweater and a long blue scarf that wrapped around his neck. He was standing there for about an hour and his eyes only set to one person.  
  
She was sitting on the field of yellow and white flowers which she had assumed will be gone when the winter comes. There was sadness in her eyes. Girls really loved flowers and they don't like it when it's fall because it's the time where flowers have to leave with an ugly transformation. Gently, she stroked her white and smooth finger on the yellow flower. Then she smiled... a sad smile. As if he knows what she was thinking, he proceeded to that field and stopped when their just inches a part. The girl with pink hair looked up to him with a questioning face. Out of the blue, little Sasuke spoke.  
  
"Don't worry, they'll come back in spring." And he smiled.  
  
The little pink haired girl, looked down on the flower again and then stood up to face little Sasuke. She smiled at him and he offered his hand to her, walking her home.  
  
"Thank you... Sasuke-kun..."  
  
(End of Flashback)  
  
Naruto, the closest friend Sasuke could have, noticed the sad smile on his face. Maybe he was reminiscing something. Reaching Sasuke's shoulders, he tapped it and encouraged him.  
  
"We'll find her. And you've got to tell her what you really wanted to tell her from the start."  
  
Neji and Sasuke looked at him. Sasuke's eyes widened in surprise.  
  
'Naruto knew? How in the..?'  
  
"We'll back you up in whatever might happen, Uchiha." Neji added and then smirked at him when Sasuke looked him at his eyes.  
  
Sasuke looked back at the picture on his hand. The young girl with an exact image of Sakura was smiling back at him. And they all know, that her smile was a sign of Hope.  
  
However, at the moment of their temporary rest they heard a feminine scream.  
  
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"  
  
That voice was Sakura's.  
  
Immediately, Sasuke, Naruto and Neji dashed out of the room and followed the origin of the voice. Sasuke unconsciously dropped the picture of the young girl on the dried blood floor.  
  
------------------------------  
  
"NO!!! Don't come near me!!" She screamed when she had plopped back down on the ground and shakily pushing herself away from the man.  
  
Instead of stopping, the man slowly and creepingly walking towards her. Sakura could hear his footsteps coming closer. She moved again with her hands supporting her to back away. She could feel her body trembling while moving. Where are her friends when she needed them? Right now, she is face to face to certain man who had murdered a family who had once lived in this huge mansion. He had raped the young girl who, if was still alive, would be at her age. And what's worst is that the man is a psycho.  
  
'No... go away... leave me alone... leave me alone...' Her eyes had produced tears and is flowing down her cheeks.  
  
Hopeless.  
  
She's not strong enough to face him. Even if she tried to resist he'll outdone her. She knows it, she could feel it.  
  
------------------------------  
  
Even though it was still raining outside, Shikamaru and the rest of the girls continuously investigating the mansion through windows. They ignored their wet clothes and heavy paraphernalia. Shikamaru was leading the way and everytime he sees window, he looks through it, checking if there would be any sign of Sakura or of the others.  
  
Ino was still crying but she continued running to find her best friend. Her forearm was slightly bleeding but she ignored the pain. She wasn't crying for the pain, she was crying because she was desperately searching for Sakura and hoped that nothing had happened to her.  
  
Hinata and Tenten were just behind them, double checking the windows that Ino and Shikamaru had passed by.  
  
After a moment, Shikamaru stopped. He was looking to his right, through the window. Ino followed him and looked at the same window.  
  
Her eyes slowly widened in horror.  
  
And the continues flow of her tears won't stop.  
  
Tenten and Hinata suddenly sped up and stopped when they saw through the window.  
  
...there was Sakura, trembling backwards...  
  
with the caretaker slowly making his way to her...  
  
and he was holding a scythe on his right hand.  
  
Scared of what will happen and to know that they're behind her, she screamed.  
  
"SAKURA!!!!"  
  
------------------------------  
  
Right now, they didn't just hear Sakura's scream, but also Ino's scream although there's the hint that it came from outside. They, too, followed the same origin of the scream. The trio sped up as they hastily brought themselves to the place where they assume the voices originated.  
  
'I'll kill you...I will certainly kill you if something happened to Sakura...'  
  
Neji had sped up a little and is now at Sasuke's side. Then he noticed something ahead of them.  
  
Half of a human body was slowly making its way inside and Neji knew what's in that room.  
  
'That psycho and Sakura were in that room.'  
  
He looked at Sasuke then at Naruto behind him, "I know where they are. Let's go!"  
  
_(To be continued)_  
------------------------------  
**(SDA)**  
_A/N: Shocks, sorry guys/girls if I'm slacking. I'm updating my site/blog then there's the pRO. Hehehe, ok so here goes the update. I hope you liked it. Next chapter - expect to have the most awaited scene - Sasuke, Neji and Naruto versus Wakku (the psycho caretaker) and the final chapter! Please review It's very important to me..._


	11. Fear and Courage

**An overnight stay  
**

**Fear and Courage  
**  
She was backing away, she has to because if she stopped, she will be killed. Even if she doesn't have the strength to move back she has to put her limits to it... because, like stated earlier...  
  
She will be killed.  
  
Her eyes showed the horror she had felt at this time. The tears won't stop flowing. She was sweating cold even if it's cold outside. She never had experienced this feeling before.  
  
Right before her eyes was the killer. The psycho. The caretaker.  
  
'Ino...Naruto...Hinata...Neji-san...Shikamaru...Tenten...S-sasuke-kun...'  
  
"SAKURA!!!" She heard her best friend's shrieking voice from her back.  
  
She was shakily turning her head to her side to see if she wasn't hallucinating. Slowly and trembling, she opened her mouth. Her ears were right.  
  
It was really Ino.  
  
Together with Shikamaru, Tenten and Hinata.  
  
'I-Ino...'  
  
The blonde hair girl went closer to the window and started banging it, hoping it would break so that she could take her best friend away from the psycho killer.  
  
"Sakura!! Sakura!!"  
  
The pink haired girl noticed the total wet appearance of her best friend from the other side. They must have been looking for her the entire time that they even went outside for wide scouting. She sniffed. Next thing she saw was Shikamaru holding Ino's arms away from the window. Hinata followed them and started pointing something inside.  
  
She was panicking, Sakura felt when Hinata was gagging from the outside.  
  
Then she felt a warm atmosphere around her. Hastily, she looked down on the floor and saw a large shadow casting down on her. She couldn't turn her head to see what's in front of her because she knew already who owned the shadow.  
  
'Help me...'  
  
------------------------------  
  
Neji saw Wakku already lifting his weapon as if he was going to slash down his victim. He must find a way to distract that person. But before he could do something, he saw a flash of black in front of him, hastily making his way inside the room.  
  
Indeed, that person was Sasuke, who came inside and jumped and kicked the caretaker's side as he flung towards the opposite direction. Naruto followed the scene and saw his pink haired best friend, still crying in front of them.  
  
Her eyes were still, though she was still sobbing so loudly. He hastily went to her side, knelt down and clamped his hand to her right shoulder.  
  
"Sakura-chan, are you okay?" He asked as concern as he could.  
  
There was no reply, she continued sobbing and finally threw herself in Naruto's chest.  
  
"WAAHHHH!!!" She cried out her heart in relief to see her friends and saved her.  
  
Neji soon came in and saw Sasuke raging so badly as he was standing right in front of Naruto and Sakura. Sasuke, have his eyes glued to the man who had been sitting on the floor. Yes, that Uchiha was strong. Soon after, he could hear their other friends' voices coming out of the window. They were soaking wet and Shikamaru was trying his best to calm Ino. He set his eyes on his cousin who was telling something about 'get anything from there and throw it towards the window'. He took out one of the chairs and carried it in front of the window just beside the window where he could see the others. Hinata and Tenten backed as far as they could while Shikamaru hastily pulled Ino from the window where they saw Sakura.  
  
With a loud noise of glass breaking, Sasuke and Naruto looked to the side where Neji had stood with his arms paused in the midair after he had thrown the chair towards the window. Quickly, Naruto knew the purpose of breaking the glass window and through that, he focused back to Sakura, who was but still crying in his chest.  
  
"Ne, ne Sakura-chan, stand up now. We're going to get out this place."  
  
Sakura didn't move. It was as if her mind was still fresh from the incident and from the latter scenes. All her energy had been gone due to extreme horror and unearthly encounters. Neji had called Naruto twice to help Sakura and get out using the window but Naruto always says that Sakura wasn't even listening to him.  
  
And that made our Uchiha moved from his position, crouching down beside Sakura and placed his hand on Sakura's back, comforting her.  
  
"Sakura..." He started with an unimaginary soft tone of voice, "C'mon now, we're getting out of here. Hold on ok?"  
  
Her sobbings finally calmed. Slowly, she pull herself from Naruto and found Sasuke beside her.  
  
"Sasuke...S-Sasuke-kun..." She uttered between her sobs. Using her back hand, she removed the fresh tears out of her cheeks.  
  
"Yeah, it's me Sakura."  
  
And expectedly, she threw herself to Sasuke, pulling him helplessly and resumed her crying.  
  
"Sakura-chan..."  
  
They weren't moving when they saw what they saw next. It was like as if they were forced to watch the succession of the events. But the emotions they felt had reached its maximum that they need to save themselves and get the hell out of here.  
  
Through the window, the gang from the outside watched how Sasuke, Naruto and Neji had helped Sakura from the first attack of the psycho. And when they were busy comforting Sakura, the psycho had stood up from where he was, grabbed his weapon and slowly raising it up as if it could reach the ceiling.  
  
He will KILL whoever had tried to stop him.  
  
Neji, who was the only person conscious at that time, urgently looked at the caretaker. Watching in horror, he immediately shouted Sasuke's name to evade the coming attack.  
  
"Sasuke to your left!"  
  
With fast reflexes, Sasuke pushed Sakura with his weight on top of her. Naruto immediately retreated from the scythe and sat still just beside Neji. His fear stricken eyes proved that he, too, was too shocked to what just happened.  
  
The caretaker WILL surely KILL them for interrupting his plans.  
  
At the same time, the girls' scream could be heard from the outside as they watched what had just happened in front of them. Shikamaru instinctively tightened his hug to Ino, who was but, burying her face in his chest, both hands covered her ears, and her once blue eyes were completely shut to avoid the terrifying sight she thought she had inside her mind.  
  
Back in the room, Sasuke could hear Sakura's uneven breathing from where he was lying. She was still sobbing between her breathing and that wouldn't do any good if this continues. Well, that's because she might suffer a psychological dilemma such as trauma. And it may never leave her mind till she dies.  
  
'She won't die...SHE WON'T!!'  
  
Angrily, he immediately shifted his position where he was now sitting right beside her trembling body. Her eyes where shot wide open just right after the collision Sasuke did. Sasuke was sorry about what happened, but he was relieved that Sakura didn't hit her head on the floor. He ordered Sakura to get out using the window and he will take care of everything here.  
  
Unfortunately, it was hard to digest any instructions because she was, sadly, almost suffering into a trauma.  
  
"Just what the fuck happened?!" Naruto wailed while watching the old man pulling the tip of the scythe on the destroyed cement floor.  
  
"He's trying to kill us all. We better get out before he injures anyone of us." Neji said hastily looking from the caretaker, to Sasuke, to Sakura and then to Naruto. "Help Sakura get out using that window. Hurry!"  
  
"B-but!! What are you planning to do!?" The blonde kid whined once more, knowing Hyuuga Neji, he must an idea formulating in that head of his.  
  
"Sasuke and I will divert him before he attacks Sakura again. Now hurry up and do what I told you to do!"  
  
Haphazardly crawling his way to his friend and tripped more than once, he held Sakura's fetal position. He was deeply worried now that she was desperately clutching her head with terrifying widened eyes on her once pretty face. In a moment, he saw Sasuke's foot backing away as if forming a defensive stance, one that they learned from Kakashi's PE classes. Even though Sasuke's back was completely facing him, Naruto could sense the seriousness in his aura. How he found out, he didn't even know.  
  
The determination to eliminate all those who had intruded his plans, provoked the killer to move on his own little gory plans. He attempted to smash the raven haired kid's torso in half but the kid barely hit as he dodged sideways. Later he sensed the other boy launching at him but he immediately sent him back with the use of his strong arms. Recovering from the fall, the raven haired kid watched his blonde friend aiding the pink haired girl to get up and have their way on the broken glass window. However, walking ever-so-slowly, the grudging deadly scythe was again lifted like a light load aiming at the poor sobbing girl's already worn out frail body.  
  
"NOOO!!!!"  
  
_(To be continued)  
_------------------------------  
**(SDA)**  
_**Author's Note:** ok ok, so I know it's a late update but don't pound me!! It feels good that you, my friends, are giving me encouragement to continue this fic. The first time I wrote this one, I thought nobody would like it... sniffsniff. (after sneezing on to a tissue) After watching so many horror movies I was really inspired to continue this one, I'm thinking to put really gory scenes for the next chapter since it will be the second to the last... and yes, this story will finally end!! Your suspense will also end! The horrifying nightmare will also end! But... a sequel is brewing into my head... it's angsty and the original source was really frightening... hmm... I'll ask you later if you want one. I'm writing all my fics right now. Jumping from one file to another, coz I don't want to keep it in my head for so long, but really, I have to do some serious re-reading in every finished worked. Add the current situation where I really felt sick...sigh...  
  
On a side note, I'm sorry that I did not reread this chapter. I found several typo and grammatical errors. _


	12. Bloodshed

**An overnight stay**

**Bloodshed**

"NOOO!!!!"

There was a fast movement that would come out as a blur in one's vision. While Sasuke angrily and shockingly screamed and Neji was too shock to even move from his position, the boy who could also put down his life to protect his best friend, jumped in where the scythe would surely hit the flesh of the pink haired girl.

Hinata, from the outside, immediately ran towards the window and started pounding on it just like what Ino did when she saw Sakura.

"Naruto!! NARUTO!!"

Tenten followed the suit and pulled Hinata before she could injure herself after the glass had broken.

"But Naruto is--!!" Hinata exclaimed when she felt Tenten's hands on her forearms.

Tenten could feel the stress in Hinata's voice and actions, "They will get out of there. They will. Now we should avoid coming near the windows before that psycho throws that scythe!"

From the inside, as the events unraveled, Naruto was now crouching in front of Sakura, gritting his teeth in pain from the attack he just received. Sakura, who had finally come out from her senses, realized the situation. Though she had already lack strength to move further, she shakily reached out Naruto's shoulder and touched him.

"Na...Naruto..." She voiced out audibly.

Little recovered from the wound, Naruto was relieved to know that his best friend had finally came out from her own darkness. With one eye shut and the other weakly opened, he still flashed a grin to her.

"Sa...Sakura-chan... Are you--are you alright?" He asked although there's a hint of struggling in his voice.

Sasuke and Neji could no longer contain the anger, which they were controlling for a few moments ago, that they both stood from their fallen location and had their eyes focused on the man who had brought down his weapon on their friend.

'I will never forgive you for attempting to kill Sakura as well as hurting that dobe...' Sasuke talked in his thoughts, refering to the psycho in front of him.

'I will not let you hurt my friends again...' Said Neji while preparing his battle stance.

------------------------------

Going back from the outside, Shikamaru decided to help Naruto and Sakura since Naruto had received such wound. He asked Hinata and Tenten to watch over Ino, who still had her hands clutching at his T-shirt.

"Ino, let go. I'm gonna get Sakura and Naruto out of there." He explained while prying her fingers on his shirt.

Like Sakura, Ino was experiencing such fear and might as well imprisoned in her own world. She was trembling. Trembling because of the rain that poured cold liquid on her skin and because of the fear she's feeling. Hinata and Tenten pulled Ino from Shikamaru when the girl proved that she wasn't even listening to what Shikamaru was trying to tell her. After a few seconds or so, Shikamaru was walking forward to the window where Neji smashed it using a chair. He ignored the glass shards from the window frame which sliced his flesh when he entered.

'How troublesome...'

------------------------------

Neji and Sasuke started attacking the psycho killer, but whenever they tried to hit him square in the face, they were easily thrown back. Sasuke was thrown on the hard wooden closest that he had almost spit out some blood. Neji was thrown to the chairs across Sasuke's direction. He had to cover the back of his head so that he will not be suffering any concussion on the head. However, both young men received wounds on their flesh. They're bleeding.

Bleeding...

But they have ignored it. They will not be bothered by those wounds because they will make this killer pay for the crimes and actions he did to their friends. And since, literally, he's a psycho, the possibility of being killed is high. Even if they were afraid to face death, they will do everything to save their friends. As for Sasuke, he will do anything to protect the person whom he loved the most.

If needed, he will kill.

While panting, Neji painly rose up from his fall and was clutching his left arm. The left arm was under his battered body when he was thrown back and he thought that it was numb already. But like the cuts and wounds he received from earlier attempt to injure the killer, he ignored it. Right now, he was busy thinking of any ways on how they will stop the killer or render him immobile. It seems that he's a lot stronger when he was holding a weapon. His fist, though slow when hitting, were strong, too.

Slow...

Both him and Sasuke were fast and yet their attacks were still inferior to this merciless killer. If only they could hurt him at the same time, the damage that they can make will be the same as his attacks. Neji smirked in that thought.

'I'm a real genius.'

Gasping for breath, Neji looked at Sasuke, "Sasuke!"

When his name was called, he forced himself to looked at the person who had called him. He was kneeling in a genuflect position and was breathing hard.

'What now Neji...' He thought, gritting his teeth when he felt his wounds stung.

"Let's attack at once. He's slow but his blows were strong. Aim for the head and render him immobile." He explained while struggling to keep his balance.

With that Sasuke nodded and slowly stood up from his position. Gasping for air to prepare himself, he saw Neji readying on his plan. He had noticed those points, too, but he was busy at his rage to even make a plan out of it. His conclusion says that Neji was really a reliable person.

------------------------------

"Arrrggh!"

Naruto cannot stand upright because the serious injure on his back stings every time he attempts to move. Sakura was aiding him a little but it seems like she, too, does need an aid. She just couldn't dispatch all the events that happened in one night. She still has that certain fear lingering within herself. But... for now she must set all those things aside because one of her closest friend needed her.

"I'm sorry Naruto... I'm so sorry..." The words were like a mantra rolled off of her tongue.

But all Naruto could ever do was smile at her, assuring her that he was still fine. Sakura crouched beside Naruto and pulled his left arm gently placing it over her shoulder. Her free hand searched for anything that could aid them to rise up, right on time though, Shikamaru came from the outside and helped the both of them to get the hell out of the place.

"Oi Naruto don't push it too hard. If these broken glasses hit that wound of yours, it'll hurt a lot."

Shikamaru took Naruto's other hand, and like Sakura did, he also placed it on his shoulder. After which, he looked to Sakura.

"Sakura, I'll take care of Naruto. Go ahead."

Knowing what he asked for, she gently let go of Naruto and looked back at them. Naruto who was still struggling to keep his balance looked back at her, feeling that she hasn't moved after she let go of him.

"We'll be right behind you." And he weakly smiled.

Even though it pained her that she wasn't able to help her buddy, she nodded at them. She looked back at Neji who was looking dangerously at his opponent, likewise Sasuke, who showed her such care when she needed him.

'Guys...' A tear already forming in her soft jaded eyes, 'Thank you for saving me...' And to that she ran to the broken glass window to escape.

------------------------------

Wakku wandered his eyes for a second. He was slightly ignoring these punks who were trying to stop him. However, when he spotted his target already escaping the hell he was creating, he did not controlled his frustration and dashed towards her.

He wasn't fast that both of his young foes followed him. Shikamaru and Naruto heard the coming running footsteps towards them that Shikamaru immediately brought Naruto on the safe corner and covered him. He was conscious that Sakura hasn't been able to get out completely. Her upper torso did but not the lower. He looked behind him only to see the raging Sasuke kicked the left elbow while Neji jumped, stepped the man's back and landed in between the shoulder blades. It was like Neji was sitting on him on the shoulders. After placing himself in place, he brought his weight backwards as he was bending, reaching the floor. He crossed his legs under the man's chin so that he would be choked.

And he knew he succeeded on that because he heard the man's choking sounds.

Sasuke, who had kicked the elbow, making it numb, turned to kick the stomach. After getting back on his two feet, he dashed again and avoided the hand that had the weapon. He jumped back from that and dashed again to hit the forearm and then grabbed it. The remaining option that he had in his mind was to...

Kick him straight in the face.

...And he did.

There was blood coming out of the man's mouth as Sasuke connected his strong kick on his jaw. Neji, upon knowing what Sasuke did, immediately released his legs on the man's neck. When he slid down, his hands reached the ground to get balance and have his feet landed clean on the ground, too.

Both of them were panting.

But relieved because the killer fell on his back roughly touched the ground.

And he was unconscious, too.

Shikamaru and Naruto, who were staring at them gasped for breath of relief when they saw the killer down on the ground.

------------------------------

Hinata was too busy comforting Ino after they found some shelter under the roof of the front door of the mansion. Few minutes ago, they, Hinata and Tenten, both decided to stay under some shelter before they got themselves a serious cold and well, it will just make this matters serious and troublesome. Now, that Hinata was tasked to stay with Ino, Tenten went back to the spot where they saw the other gang and the killer.

She was crawling out of the window now. Finally, her pink damp hair came out of the house!

Tenten ran as fast as she could when she saw her friend crawling out of the window. When Sakura felt someone was coming near her, she looked at the direction where the strong presence came from and to that she was delighted.

'Tenten!!' She gleefully shouted in her mind.

"Tenten!!" And she shouted happily.

When her brown haired friend came to her, she was helped to get her body out of the window. After landing on the ground, Sakura was hugged by Tenten, telling her also that they were all worried about her. Sakura hugged back and started crying all her anxieties. They ignored the pouring rain on them. But it seems like it would stop any time.

"I'm glad you made it out!" Tenten happily said and hugged Sakura tighter.

"Me... too... I'm so sorry for running away like that..." She said between her cries and did the same when Tenten tightened her embrace.

Tenten rubbed Sakura's back to comfort her and added, "Shh... it's over now. Let's go to Hinata and Ino." She pulled Sakura to meet her eyes.

Knowing that she's safe with her friend, she nodded and stood up. Of course, with Tenten's help. They ran towards the two girls, waving, allowing them to know that one of their friends had managed to came back to them... alive.

When both Sakura and Tenten managed to get themselves under the same roof, Ino hastily grabbed Sakura just to be sure that her best friend was fine. Hinata and Tenten almost cried watching their friends crying as if they had lost someone, well, almost. While her brown eyes roamed under the rain, she spotted a familiar mountain bike recklessly thrown at the front gate of the mansion.

"Hey! Isn't that--"

------------------------------

Everyone inside was panting in whatever the reason would be, well of course, there's someone who wasn't moving because he was unconscious. Naruto couldn't believe that all of this had ended in a matter of seconds, right after Sasuke managed to kick his face, make him landed on the ground. He forced himself to remember that he will never make this kid be mad at him or 'this' will happen to him.

He gulped.

"Oi Naruto, let's go." Shikamaru said, forcing him to get up. This lazy fellow knew that Naruto has wounds but they really have to get out of here to tend that injury from a safer place.

"Yeah. Thanks for covering me..." Naruto managed to say and forced himself to get up from the fall.

Neji was relieved, but he knew it wasn't entirely finished. This is a temporary victory in which they have to use to get out of this mansion as soon as they can just before this man wakes up. Still feeling tiredness in his body, he forced himself to straight up and walked towards Sasuke.

Actually, he cannot help to admit that Sasuke was terribly strong when he was so angry.

'A short-tempered idiot...' He thought and smirked at the subject of his thoughts.

Sasuke was sitting on his butt to the ground, legs spread out and his both hands behind him to support him. He was breathing hard, well it was exhausting after releasing those moves just to render the killer immobile and unconscious. Like Neji, he knew too well that this is not a permanent victory. This is the only time they could escape.

Looking at the person standing in front of him, he thanked him by nodding his head and lowered it to get another air. Neji crouched down and slid his arms below Sasuke's armpit, helping him to get up. The Uchiha accepted the aid and helped himself, also, to get up. He looked at Naruto and Shikamaru who were both taking the window exit in difficulty, that's because Naruto has a wounded back.

"Let's go. Sakura was already out." Neji actually means that, "Sakura was safe."

Sasuke smirked at it and looked back at the person who had tried to kill his special someone. He narrowed his eyes on him and cursed him in his mind. How he wished he could kill him, but it's not part of his life. He never killed anyone even if he was tempting to do it. Slowly turning their back away, Sasuke and Neji faced the direction of where they knew they would be safe.

'Finally...'

------------------------------

He could hear some footsteps walking away from him. He knew it came from those brats who were trying to stop him from killing the pink-haired girl. Feh. If they were trying to escape that easily...

They're wrong!

Slowly and silently, he rose from his lying position. He could not felt the scythe anywhere beside him that he decided to get one of his favorite daggers inside his coat. When he arranged his vision, he focused himself to the spiky black haired boy and the other boy with long hair. He had taken it a fact that they were strong kids but he would never let them get away.

Never!

Unfortunately, when he stood from his position and was walking towards the two boys, he could not stop the creaking sounds which belong to the friction of his shoes to the floor. He saw the kids jerked and reacted by wheeling their heads to his location. Their eyes widened in shock.

Without thinking, he dashed towards them, dagger on his hand, aiming for the wounded kids.

Further... A little more further...

And he would see another bloodbath in this house...

But...

The kids shut their eyes when they knew there's nothing they could do to avoid it. They've tired out themselves too much that all they could do was walk. They could no longer have a decent fight like what they did earlier. Nonetheless, death was never the answer when they saw the psycho dashed to them.

Actually the blade did not even touched them.

Opening their eyes, they saw a figure of a young man in front of the killer. They did not know what happened but it looks like the killer stood frozen in his place. His eyes wide and some blood gushing down from his mouth. Sasuke narrowed his eyes further as if the young man was rather familiar to him.

Slowly, the young man turned his body to face Neji and Sasuke. To that, Sasuke erased the doubts from his thoughts. He was right!

"Aniki!"

_(To be continued)   
------------------------------   
(SDA)   
_**Author's Note:** (sighs) I really hate our strict-almost-choking-rules that our "professor" left for us. And now I was even scared to not to get late in his class! (ooops wrong place... I was not suppose to place it here...but then...literally... I'm overloaded!!) (Itachi enters the scene only to say, "You're not Kakashi right? Is there any other--" I butt in, "Aww shut up this is really my problem!)

Ahem, so here goes the second to the last chapter. A slight cliffy but it seems like it's too clear that they're all saved. Getting out of that hell was rather hell itself. The move that Neji did to stop Wakku from coming after Sakura again, was actually Gackt's move in MoonChild. I know some peepz do not know anything about it so there's no need to explain it in here. And oh, the pairings are SO clear, ne? I've just focused on SasuSaku since I'm an avid fan of these couple. I don't know what happened that I made Itachi appear in this story. Oh well, I can't let the kids kill the killer, since they're just students and so young. I didn't say that Itachi does all the dirty work, besides he can't let the killer kill his precious little brother, ne?

Say, who believes that Sakura would end up with Naruto in the real story? I got this information from Karen. I just wanted to find out the truth about it. I do hope it was just an assumption or someone else's opinion.

So uhm, I don't know when to update the last chapter but I hope you guys would stick around with me. I can't tell that I'm that successful, since I'm too limited in my story-telling (oh! So I got my first critic to myself!) Sometimes I can't just say what I wanted to say. (sigh) Guess I have to read more :P Thanks for staying with me! Just wait for the next and last one chapter!


	13. Aftermath of Clashing Souls

**An overnight stay**

**Aftermath of Clashing Souls**

Midnight blue sky had turned lighter and lighter, welcoming the new day as the dewdrops from the latter event stayed on the surface of the earth. Everything is calm now. There's always this phrase 'calm before the storm', but comparing to what happened in the earlier events, it says otherwise.

They say that the best thing you do when you had experienced something bad in the past is forget it. But, there are some cases that even if you wanted to forget it...

You just can't.

It may seem unearthly after the encounter with the young ghost and faced off with the murderer of the family who had once lived on that mansion. Though, no matter how hard she tried to tell herself that it has been ended, she just couldn't forget it. It's not easy to forget, right?

And that's what Haruno Sakura was experiencing.

------------------------------

Itachi, having this surprise appearance, made Neji and Sasuke almost fell back on the floor. However, it's not just because of his presence, it's because of the dead man still standing in front of him. Both young men already know what happened, particularly what Itachi did to Wakku. The thing was, they were just too shock to witness such action.

The elder Uchiha assured that Wakku wouldn't be able to hurt them again. His little brother inquired his sudden presence only to find out that Itachi has been watching over the said criminal. He had the authority to kill Wakku if he showed murderous acts. And like what happened, it was acceptable to defend the kids from the killing intention.

He also added that he wasn't doing this assignment all by himself. Shisui tagged himself along. Itachi said that Shisui was just getting all the important documents all over the house and will come outside to meet him. Sasuke asked how his brother managed to find this place. Itachi said that he heard from their parents about their little vacation to Ino's aunt. He knew how to get to that place but also knew about this mansion that stood at the heart of the forest in which a murderer hid himself from people. He had been watching this person after the news about this certain family who once lived in the place. Therefore, in order to arrest him or stop the psycho's actions he and Shisui must investigate and stop him at all cost. Furthermore, he didn't want his only sibling to be harmed by such criminal.

When the three of them walked outside using the front door, the girls with Shikamaru and Naruto gasped in surprise and started bombarding questions as to what Itachi-nii-chan doing in a place like this. Itachi just shrugged his shoulders and told Sasuke to tell the details to them while he was calling their dad. When he took his cellphone, he made a quick look at the pink haired friend of Sasuke.

'Because of Sakura, his taste for murder had awakened. Who would want to acquire such psycho to annihilate the family? Hmmm... I have to find out who he is...'

He pressed the keypads of the phone and put it on his right ear. While waiting for his dad to answer the phone, he wondered his eyes to the teens. Four, including Sasuke, of them was injured either during the fight or during the escape. They must head back as soon as possible to heal their wounds. Other than that, the investigation for the unknown person who hired Wakku should be started. Itachi could feel that that person is still somewhere out there. If he can't be found in Konoha, he'll have to go outside the city and find him somewhere else.

For about a minute or two, the other Uchiha appeared from the front door, holding all the documents he had found in all the rooms in which the kids also entered. Shisui told Itachi that these documents were important and must be submitted to the high authority as soon as possible. Itachi just nodded at him as he heard his dad from the other line of the phone.

While talking to their father, Sasuke diverted his attention to Itachi and went to Sakura, who was but being held by Tenten. Tenten then noticed him going towards Sakura, told the girl that she would just check Neji if he was badly harmed or anything.

"Sakura...are you hurt?" He asked with an unmasked concerned tone.

Sakura just stared at his eyes and shook her head. She didn't understand why she was feeling nervous around him, but she was really, really thankful to him because he had protected him with all his life.

"Can I..." Sasuke started yet again, earning the girl's attention, which in turn made him uneasy. 'No turning back, Sasuke.' "Can I talk to you for a while?"

Again, she looked to his eyes but nodded in agreement. While assisting her to rise from her seat, he advanced forward only to be followed by her. Hinata and Shisui was helping Naruto to tend his wounds, but they noticed Sasuke and Sakura walking away from the group. Ino and Shikamaru was asking each other if one of them is alright and soon after, noticed also the two of their friends. Neji was talking to Itachi, who was also treating his wounds with the help of his comrade, Tenten, as they all noticed the said couple swerving to the left, passed the fountain.

------------------------------

Sasuke slowed down to a stop, looking a little troubled as he found the ground interesting. He knew that this isn't the time and place to tell 'something' to her, but he would be finding regret sooner if he didn't tell her what he was suppose to say. When he heard her also stopped behind him, he turned around to face her.

He was expecting to see her eyes looking back at him or maybe blushed furiously because it was only their first time to actually talk like this. He almost forgot that amongst the group, she has the most terrible experience to this silly outing.

That is why she was strangely acting that way.

"Uhmm...Sakura... I..."

He didn't understand himself. He wanted to say it all at once and yet, he was thinking that his courage had left him immediately.

Sakura doesn't have any idea if she was following his train of thoughts. They've been good friends but they weren't the close ones. But they both felt that there's something sparkling between them, although she couldn't figure it out and she was not sure about it.

And so to break this unnerving silence, Sakura voluntarily filled the missing sentences for him...

"I'm fine, Sasuke-kun..." Her voice faltered for a second, but she continued to reassure him. "You don't have to worry so much..."

It seems like she wasn't really following his train of thoughts. Actually, the message interpreted differently to his ears... particularly to his heart. To him, she was like thinking that he's in no position to care for her much more to be dead worried when something happened to her.

She's definitely WRONG if she did think that way!

His patience had worn off already. Mix it up with all the emotions his feeling as of this time. He didn't know how he would get those words out of his mouth...

He clutched his fists and lowered his head. It seems like he could not contain this mixed emotions right now...

Knowing him, he might burst out like an erupting volcano.

Sakura, on the other hand, felt the sudden mood change from him. She unexpectedly absorbed the emotion that came from him. Oddly, it turned that from her eyes... he was angry...

Angry from what?

"S..Sasuke-kun..." 'Why are you so mad...'

"I know I'll regret this if I didn't say it right now..." He finally uttered, still his head lowered.

"What?" The obvious tone of her voice made it hard for him to tell her 'something'.

He gritted his teeth.

He admitted, he's new for this kind of thing, but if he retreated, who knows that in the future he might regret it.

He might regret it painfully...

Sakura noticed that he was seething in somewhat angry manner.

"Sasuke... are you mad at me? Look, I know it was wrong to runaway from Ino, but... the mansion had been bothering me. I'm so sorry for all the trouble I caused and I'm--"

Sasuke wasn't even listening to everything she was saying as he was trying to place his statements in his head and use his mouth to say it.

He immediately leveled his eyes to hers as he butted a strong reply, "I don't care!!" That earned a gasp from the surprised Sakura. "I don't care what you did, ok!? I just want you to know that I love you!"

------------------------------

Not far from the two young teens, the eight teenagers were listening to the love confession of their fellow friend, excluding one, who was but his little brother.

'As I was thinking back then, my little brother was dangerously in love to Sakura-chan...'

And he smirked.

"Hey Itachi," Shisui called out earning the owner of the name to face him, "aren't you a little jealous to your brother?"

Ooohh... He was teasing the great prodigy...

"Fuck you."

The others just giggled.

------------------------------

She didn't know what to do next or how she would react to what she just heard from her long time crush... who in turn, had developed his feelings for her and had confessed to her right after an incident which caused the both of them to face life and death.

What is exactly happening to the world right now?

She had known Uchiha Sasuke as the most isolating person in the world. Well to the fact that he was kind of a snobbish person. Most girls would scream their hearts out whenever they see him, in which he would grudgingly be annoyed with. Alright, they all have a crush on him, she has, too... but she was different. She doesn't have to take the initiative like them because if she did their friendship will be ruined.

They've been friends ever since they were born.

How fate destined them to be together was a big question...

Sakura could hear her heart beat faster. She just couldn't understand what Sasuke saw in her, but almost her entire life, that they've been all together, the said kid had been taking care of her in a way she knew a friend would do. Now, she was trembling.

Nervous, afraid, joy, trauma... etc...

Everything was mixed up in her mind and in her heart. She didn't know what to chose amongst all the emotions that she had felt for this time.

Just what are you saying Sasuke!? Are you out of your mind!?

Earning silence from her makes it a lot difficult than he had expected. He must explain his reason... but as far as he could remember, his brother told him that once you love a person and she asked why, all he had to do was tell her that...

'There's no reason for me to love you, that's just because I love you, that's all.'

"Sakura..." His voice became softer, "After what happened earlier, I found out that it's difficult for me to lose you... and it made me almost fall apart when I saw you crying like that..."

The pink haired girl just stayed glued on her position and was entirely listening to the man she loved...

"I know this is not the right place and time to say that but... uhmm..." Finding courage, he had fixed his eyes to hers, "I will truly regret it if I lose you... especially if I didn't tell you this feeling I've felt for years..."

'Sasuke-kun...'

"DAMN IT!! JUST TELL HIM WHAT EXACTLY YOU'RE FEELING FOR HIM!!! YOU CAN'T KEEP IT THERE FOREVER!!!" The inner Sakura screamed, cheering the real Sakura to put down her annoying attitude and get this done with.

"S-Sasuke-kun..." She was furiously blushing now that she needed to look away from the intense gaze she's been receiving from his eyes, "I've admired you for the past years, too... but... I was just afraid that you might push me away when I say this to you... that's why... that's why... I kept this feeling for so long... just like what you did..."

If only she had been looking back to him, she might have seen him smiled back at her. So, he didn't fail. Actually, he had a huge chance. A very, very huge chance.

"So... you mean to say..." Sasuke didn't have to continue what he wanted to say.

Sakura poured everything to her heart and finally looked directly to his eyes.

And smiled.

"I love you, too."

------------------------------

A month later, the first day of the school had welcomed all the students from Konoha. From the entire morning, the students had just introduced themselves all over again as they meet each teachers. The gang, who are all in the same class (of course, Shisui and Itachi are excluded in this part) had been tired out because of those introductions. They all have the same thoughts in their head...

'How I wished the day would be ended...right now'

And their prayers granted.

Hearing a loud ring of bell by the corridor, the teacher of the class immediately dismissed them. As he got out of the room, the gang had stood up from their sits and meet everyone by the door.

One particular raven haired kid approached his classmate, friend...and girlfriend to her seat. She was just shoving the pen and notebook in her bag that time and it kept her busy.

"Sakura."

The said girl looked up to him with same beautiful and humble face, which made him smile warmly at her.

It had been a month after he had declared his love for her and her for accepting it. After that very moment, they hugged each other that time, both felt that the burden in their hearts had finally thrown out. And to Sasuke's embarrassment, he earned a round of teases from his friends, including his brother. He didn't have to be that angry because it was him who did the first step, it happened that they were just present. Other than that, he felt like he's in heaven.

Sakura had felt the same thing. But during all the teasing period they both earned from their friends, all she did was to stay quiet and blush. And like Sasuke, all she'd ever felt was happiness. Unexpectedly, that terror experienced easily vanished away because of Sasuke's confession. She was thankful to him... for everything he did for her.

"Yes, Sasuke-kun?"

"They're waiting. Let's go." He extended his hand, offering her.

She looked to his hand then straight to his eyes, "Sure." And she smiled.

------------------------------

The Uchihas; Itachi and Shisui, had been busy solving the case about the mansion. Luckily, Itachi's father helped them right away. The high authority now possessed the important documents that Shisui found and that also includes the kids' statements as they were all the witnesses and victims during the crime... as of the present...

As for the past, the duo left Konoha for wide investigation to help the poor souls find justice.

------------------------------

As for the mansion, it was still there. Unvisited. However, the peace was present after the incident. It was still dark, cold and bothersome, but the last remaining soul was still present, guarding the mansion as it was hers.

The young blurry image of a pink haired girl stood silent on the second floor of the house, having a sight seeing from the window. She and her family haven't had the justice yet, but she was sure that those young men and women would be their key to finish this case. She felt relieved whenever she thinks about it. Wakku's soul had forever left the mansion as if it was barricaded by some energy that says a soul like him would never ever be permitted to come.

Where were her family?

They reached the heaven in no time. She had to stay in the mansion for quite a while, well right after she found the justice for her family, might as well come along with them.

But most of all... she was grateful that those newfound friends had saved her, especially the girl with the same color of her hair. The girl who also had the same name as hers...

'Sakura.'

The ghost smiled.

------------------------------

It was a long day before the class had finally ended successfully. The students had gone out to whenever they wanted to go. As for the four boys, they had to wait for the girls to finish up their task as they place their things on their lockers. After sometime, they appeared by the school gate talking something.

"...You see, many have heard of the song, and understood the lyrics but... it was kind of scary..." Tenten was the topic starter and she had closed the topic for them to give their opinions.

Ino just smirked, "Tenten, you're old enough not to believe in those legends." She put emphasis on the word. "A song like that would never create a massive genocide in one country."

Sakura decided to butt in, "I also don't believe in them, but for us to be safe, let's not listen to it. We'll lose nothing and we'll gain nothing. Quite fair I guess."

"I think so, too..." Hinata muttered.

"OI!!! WHY ARE YOU GUYS TAKING SO LONG!!!" Oh the loud mouth of Konoha, Uzumaki Naruto.

The three of them just giggled, while the other furiously blushed.

Ino put her arm around Hinata's shoulder, "You've got to tell your BOYFRIEND to keep his mouth to shut up. I know you're earned so much humiliation from him."

That made Hinata blushed furthermore.

"Naruto is Naruto. No one would ever change that." Sakura reasoned out, then looked straight ahead. She found Sasuke and decided to go to him.

When Sakura found her way in his arms, he hugged her back, though a little surprise.

"Hey, why are you taking so long? You only have to put your things in the locker."

Sakura noticed that he had become impatient for the past few minutes.

"Well, Tenten started a topic from her research and from what she had heard from the other sections."

"I think I know what you're talking about." Neji butted in, knowing his Tenten. Yes, HIS Tenten. They were officially together two days after the incident.

"What are you guys talking about?" Shikamaru asked, feeling a little more lazier after the class.

That time, the girls had finally arrived at the school gate and all of them decided to talk about it while they were walking.

"When I was searching in the internet last two days ago, I found this website about the famous legends in the world." Tenten had to repeat the topic for the other boys. She had clung her arms around Neji's left arm. "And you know what I found out? A certain article about a song that created a massive number of deaths in one country. The article says that when a person listened to the song while reading the lyrics it will summon one's insanity and make him kill himself. To put it simply, the victim will commit suicide."

Naruto don't believe in such things that he began to say, "There's no such thing like that. A song? Lyrics? Making one to commit suicide?"

Neji could say that his girlfriend was really interested in this article and actually believed in that story as Tenten continued to blabber, "Most likely because the lyrics contained the most depressing words that you'll ever heard. I've read the lyrics but I never tried and attempted to listen to the original song. There were about five or more translations for the song and three of the singers who sang it committed suicide."

Sasuke felt Sakura's tremble through her hands which had ben intertwined with his. Scary little things such as these would easily be getting into her, maybe it's because of the trauma a month ago. So to ease that fear, he gently squeezed her hand and pulled her closer to his side.

"I don't believe in such thing." Shikamaru finally said after listening to Tenten.

All of them looked back at him with questioning looks, daring him to continue what he was trying to say.

"Only a madman would be under that curse, other than that, a person who might have been experiencing emotional problems are prone to commit suicides."

Before they parted, Tenten warned them about the song and the title of the lyrics...

------------------------------

Itachi and Shisui had finally caught the man behind the crime. However, while they were going back to all the evidences they've got from the previous investigation, they both thought that it was weird. This whole damn thing is so weird.

As Itachi reread the paper for the second time this day, he relaxed his back on the soft cushion.

'Wakku, age: unknown, status: divorced, family: wife and daughter (deceased), occupation: assassin...'

He skipped some parts in the document, particularly those that will not help him. However, when he set his eyes on the accomplishments that this man did when he was still alive, he couldn't help but sighed deeply.

'...Accomplishments: exhibit in year ??, compositions in year ??, song released in year ??...'

Itachi knew everything in this world... from general knowledge to gossips.

And since he's going to be responsible to what will happen to his brother, might as well warned him about the things that he knew...

Particularly the SONG that killed so many people from a certain country...

...Besides, he won't let his brother, his brother's girlfriend and his friends die... right?

**END**

**Standard Disclaimers Applied** _(Including the song that I've been mentioning in this entire chapter)_

**Author's Note:** _(stretched her arms)_ Oh my!! Finally I've ended this chapter. As you may notice, this chapter did not revolve from the past chapters. It's like a sequel. But before you come to me and ask for sequels, I won't promise anything. Why? My God... Someone Screaming, Naruto Saga, Where should I go, and Behind the glares are still in progress. Can't have any new stories.

Now, Sasuke was a little hurry, ne? Well, as stated above, he doesn't want to regret anything. As for the others, it's pretty obvious that right after the incident, their bonds grew stronger. DON'T ask me who are the pairings, the HINTS are already there.

Lastly, the song that I've been talking about or was mentioned above was based from an internet articles. Actually, it was my friend who introduced me to that tale. Anyway, I hope your curiosity won't kill you when you tried to open another window and search for it. I'm warning you already.

I enjoyed writing this fic. Especially the reviews I've been receiving from you my precious readers. I love you so much!! (MWAH!!!) I didn't know that there are some who likes that kind of chapters, you know the suspense cliffhangers. And I didn't know that I'm able to continue and end this. Ahh, inspirations are really powerful.

Thanks for riding with me guys! I hope to see you in SS, NS, WsIg and Btg!! Keep rocking! (v)


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